


To Heal, To Harm, or To Love?

by Vixence05



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Death, Dragons: Race to the Edge, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Healing, My First Fanfic, Romance, Secrets, Slow Burn, Smut, Suspense, Trauma, Viggo Grimborn Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:22:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 54,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23765305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixence05/pseuds/Vixence05
Summary: Viggo was sure he was going to die after seemingly succumbing to his wounds. Then like a stray ray of light he is saved by a dragon riding stranger named Kala. An intelligent healer and warrior, she keeps her secrets well guarded from everyone in the archipelago. As the two spend time together, a friendship blooms and Viggo can't help but find her intriguing.As Kala makes a name for herself, Viggo's health returns and a newfound need for revenge fuels his goal in taking down the Dragon Hunters. As the archipelago becomes more dangerous than it's every been, friendship and trust are tested. Dark secrets are revealed and Viggo has to make choices that may haunt him for the rest of his days.With trouble brewing on the horizon, Kala and Viggo's future remains uncertain with the Dragon Riders and Hunters. Their relationship and past are both put to trial in this harrowing tale of adventure and romance.This story is an AU and contains spoilers for HTTYD: RTTE and all (well most) of its canon. Also contains violence and mature content. Other warnings will be added where needed. Also contains OC's! Smut at Part 12/13 if thats all you're here for.
Relationships: Dagur the Deranged/Mala, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Viggo Grimborn/Original Character(s), Viggo Grimborn/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. Accept Your Fate

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fan fiction here on AO3 and I am determined to finish this at some point! I hope you readers enjoy! This story is crossposted on my Wattpad where I usually update first.

<<<<<>>>>>

Viggo charged towards the men he once commanded with the last of his strength. His battle cry, flaming sword and the Skrill behind him provided some intimidation against his foes. But that didn't stop some of the men from shooting their crossbows. Two more arrows pierced his left arm and shoulder, and Viggo's step faltered for just a moment. He pushed through the burning pain to slash at the enemy. The Skrill shot several lightning blasts, killing the men it hit instantly.

Viggo knew he was going to die here, he was too wounded, too weak. If this was to be his grave, he was damn well going to go out with a bang. Releasing all the Zippleback gas from his sword, Viggo leaned against the wall as he laughed. The green gas filled the cave quickly, filling the lungs of all present. The Dragon Hunters were freaking out, and many raised their crossbows at Viggo, trying to get one more hit in. Viggo stares them down unflinchingly. Before a single arrow could be shot, the Skrill lit up the cave with a large lightning blast, providing the spark for the gas. Viggo closed his eyes, ready for the blast to finish him off. He had spent his life killing dragons, it seemed fitting one should be the one to do him in.

He heard the blasts, but felt nothing, except some heat. Opening his eyes, the Skrill filled his vision; it had protected him. It had stood in front, and fanned its wings around the man. Viggo couldn't help but give a small genuine smile. He gently placed his hand on the snout of the dragon. "Your kind never fail to amaze me." He told it. The Skrill gave a small growl in response.

The dragon lowered its wings. Viggo looked at the bodies of the men. It was a shame they had to die. Though, he would be joining them soon. The arrows he had taken all stung horribly, and his blood was beginning to seep through his armour. The blood loss fatigue was beginning to set in. He saw an entrance not far away. Using the cave walls as a crutch, Viggo made his way outside.

This entrance must be different from the one Hiccup had went too. The small beach it led to was deserted. The moon shone brightly in the star filled night sky, reflecting beautifully off the quiet sea. His breathing ragged now, Viggo sat down, his legs hardly holding himself up. The man couldn't tear his eyes away from the beautiful sight he had found. "Not a bad place to die." He said, chuckling to himself.

The Skrill who he had somehow found a friend in crawled over and sat beside him. The dragon growled lowly, as if sad. Lightning on its body had fizzled out to nothing. It leaned down and began nudging his shoulder. "You're free now dragon. You should go before the others find us." Viggo said to it. His voice was hoarse, and each breath he took was painful. The Skrill shook itself and roared, letting out a blast of lightning. Then it stared Viggo in the eye, showing it had no intent of leaving the man behind. Viggo chuckled at it, "Suit yourself," he repeated from earlier.

The waves crashing against the sand was the only sound in this small peaceful space. It wasn't long before Viggo's vision was beginning to darken. He fought for every breath he drew, and he could taste blood in his mouth. The ex-dragon hunter had accepted his fate. When the last of his strength had waned, the man barely felt himself hit the soft grass beneath him as his upper body finally fell.

Viggo heard the dragon beside him cry out before he drifted into unconsciousness feeling strange peace.

<<<<<>>>>>

A hooded figure rode their dragon quietly through the night, headed for the dragon hunter base. A sudden blast of lightning in the distance caught their attention. The figure directed the dragon they road towards the blast. Perhaps it was a trapped dragon.

As they neared the source of the blast, they balanced on their dragon easily, readying a bow and arrow for foes. The person came upon a hidden cove and was surprised by what they saw. Alone in the cove was a Skrill, and another person. The new dragon approached, and hovered above as its rider assessed the situation. They saw a body with arrows, and quickly directed their dragon down too it.

Upon landing, the Skrill lit up with lightning, unnerved by the newcomer. The hooded person laid down their weapon, showing they were a friend. The Skrill calmed down, but still appeared to be protecting the downed body. The stranger moved to the body. This person had fatal wounds, but was still barely breathing. They had to help him, quickly.

The stranger directed their dragon over. The Skrill became agitated. "Do not worry, I can help." The stranger said. They then carefully moved the dying man into their dragon, trying not to wound him further. Once secure they turned back to the Skrill. "Come, and I may be able to save your friend." They said before jumping on their dragon. It ascended quickly, and flew and fast as it could towards home, the Skrill following behind.

The stranger looked back at the man they had saved. It worries them that they may know just who it was.


	2. Alive

Candlelight flickered gently off the rock and wooden walls of the home. The dusk sunlight filtered through small cracks in the door. Everything for now was quiet and peaceful. But peace is such a fragile thing. It cannot hold forever.

Viggo slowly drifted back into the realm of consciousness. The man opened his eyes tiredly, as if the simple action of looking was a tough task. The first thing he noticed was a stone roof. His head lay on a soft pillow and his body on an equally comfortable bed. Then he felt an aching pain in his back, shoulder and arm. Memories came flooding back. He had died in that cove hadn't he? This couldn't be Valhalla.

The man realized he was shirtless. Bandages covered his chest from his back as well as his left shoulder and arm. Viggo tried to sit up, but a sharp pain raced through his body like lightning. With a groan he flopped back down. Instead he settled for merely turning his head. Oh, if only the Dragon Hunters could see him now, so weak and helpless; it felt awful.

The place in which he resided didn't have much. A desk filled with papers and trinkets he couldn't make out was on the other side of the room. A dresser and mirror was also close by, most likely containing the owners belongings. There was also a nightstand beside the bed in which he lay, with several bottles and bowls on it. From what he could guess, it was medicine. Though that begged the question, who would go through the trouble of saving him?

A sudden unfamiliar roar broke his thoughts. Was it a predator, or a Dragon Rider? Viggo quickly returned to the position in which he had awoken, faking sleep.

He heard a dragon land outside, and a person's feet hit the ground. A dragon rider of some kind, could they be a friend of Hiccup's? Viggo then heard the door open and close, and he forced himself to remain still. He couldn't let this person know he was awake, at least not yet. Leather boots quietly echoed from the smooth stone floor. They approached him, and stopped right beside him. Viggo felt the blanket that had previously covered him being pulled away at his left shoulder. A glove covered hand touched his pale skin for a moment, but it felt like a spark. It took a lot of effort to not jolt. The hand gently moved over the bandages covering his shoulder and arm. Viggo was quick to deduce that this person was examining him, and was most likely the one who had saved his life.

The hand was suddenly gone, leaving behind a strange cold. The blanket was placed back in its original position. Viggo heard footsteps move away from him and over to the desk he had seen earlier. The chair was pulled out and soon the sounds of writing filled the small area. Viggo risked opening his eyes and looking at this person. He could only see a small hooded figure, their face turned away. Feeling the fatigue return, Viggo closed his eyes once more, this time sleeping for real.

<<<<<>>>>>

The next time Viggo awoke, it was dark in the space. Moonlight managed to seep in through the cracks in the door. Everything was quiet. The aching pain in Viggo's back, shoulder and arm still throbbed, but it was manageable.

Using his good arm, Viggo managed to push himself up with effort. Using the headboard and the pillow for support, the man was able to sit up. It was slow going, the bandages constricted and forced Viggo to move so he disturbed the wraps as little as possible. Once he was upright, he leaned against the headboard for support, careful of the wounds beneath the wraps. It may have been dark, be he could see that the bandages had been freshly changed.

Viggo was alone in this small residence, the person from earlier nowhere to be seen. He took this moment to reflect on these recent events. He couldn't deny that he was relieved to still be alive. He'd believed that death was inevitable for him and didn't fight it, but that didn't mean he wanted to die. In this moment of privacy he could be grateful to both the Skrill, and the stranger who saved him. Though these were thoughts he would never say aloud.

Once again he heard the sounds of a dragon landing outside. His moment over, Viggo listened intently to the happenings outside. He couldn't determine anything really, there was too much undefined shuffling outside. After several minutes a blast was heard, and soon the familiar crackling of a fire filled the air. A small amount of orange light filtered through the small cracks of the wood door.

Finally, Viggo decided it was time to meet his saviour. Carefully the man swung his feet off the bed and slowly stood. His wounds ached, but he could manage. He noticed that his boots, the remnants of his tunic and sword were all the the foot of the bed. Viggo grabbed the sword of his own making, just in case. Looking at the desk, a notebook was open. 

Walking slowly, his legs felt almost like jelly Viggo moved to the desk and sat on the chair. It was dark, but he was still able to make out what was on the pages. The book was open to page containing drawings of a Skrill. The drawings were beautifully accurate and there were several drawings of the dragon in different positions. There was also information on it. Flipping through the pages of the notebook, Viggo recognized that the more recently written contained drawings of the dragons he knew: Monstrous Nightmare, Deadly Natter and Gronckle just to name a few. Though he noticed not all had their names, a spot was simply left blank. He returned the page with the Skrill, as if he had never touched the book. Standing up, he moved towards the door with silent footsteps.

Viggo cracked open the door just enough to see outside, and was greeted by and interesting sight. Sitting on a log with their back once again turned to him sat the black hooded stranger. Lying down near the stranger was a dragon unlike anything Viggo has seen. It was of decent size with black scales covering most of it body. It appeared to have a more lizard-like structure than many other dragons and its wings resembled large fans. However the most interesting feature was the strange bioluminescence some parts of its body exhibited. A dim orange-yellow light emanated from it. If he was still the same man as before, this dragon would a valuable asset. The Skrill from before had fallen asleep underneath a large tree. It was interesting to note the dragon hadn't left on its own accord. The stranger appeared to be cooking fish. The very thought of food sparked Viggo's hunger, ravenous from not eating in days.

The man tried to open the door a little more. However the door opened wider than he meant and let out a loud creaking sound. The stranger and the dragon both turn to face him. Cover blown, Viggo walked outside, his sword ready to fight if the need arose. The dragon bared its many serrated teeth and the stranger readied a bow and arrow with experienced speed. They were facing away from the fire and it was too dark to see their face.

For a moment everyone remained still as if suspended in time. Finally it was the stranger who spoke first. "You can put that down. It's not going to do you much good here."


	3. Meet Your Saviour

"You can put that down. It's not going to do you much good here," the stranger said. The voice was female, and the accent was strange. This strange woman didn't seem to be from the Archipelago. In his suspension Viggo didn't move, holding the sword tight in his good hand.

When the woman got no response she pulled the bowstring back, arrow ready to launch. "I'm a far better shot than the idiots who tried to kill you. Trust me," she said with an even, calm tone. She held the bow still as a statue, ready to let the arrow loose at any moment. The black dragon also appeared ready to blast Viggo at any moment. Seeing no other viable course of action, Viggo placed his sword down on the ground.

Immediately the woman lowered her weapon, and gestured for her dragon to calm down. She set her weapon down and pulled the black hood from her head so Viggo could finally see her face. Long beautiful platinum blonde hair fell out from the hood and framed her face. Her skin was fair and her eyes two different shades of blue and yellow. A lightning-like scar was over her yellow eye. She almost seemed to glow in the dim light.

The girl's eyes scanned Viggo with scrutiny, looking over the his body for injuries or possible hostility. Soon she seemed to conclude that any threat was gone and her body language changed to one of relaxation. She resumed cooking as if the mini standoff never occurred and said, "Come join. The fire is warm and you should eat," in a relaxed manner. For a moment Viggo didn't move, his suspension of the girl too high. After all she had been prepared to kill him just a moment ago, though he could argue it was simply self-defense. The pain in his stomach made the decision for him, food was more important.

Viggo sat down on a nearby stump, to the side of the girl and opposite the dragon. The girl handed him some of the fish fillet she had prepared. Viggo took it with caution, as it could be poisoned. But reason stood that if this girl had wanted him dead, she would have left him to die in the first place. Additionally, the gnawing pain in his stomach was difficult to ignore. He ate quickly and quietly, observing the girl the whole while.

Finally he spoke. "Who are you, my dear? And while I can't say I'm not happy to be alive, I must say it is rather suspicious that one stranger would bother saving another," Viggo said with a calm tone as usual.

The girl looked over to him as he spoke. The firelight bounced off of her fine features, and Viggo could see a lightning-like scar over her right eye. His focus on her features was interrupted. "My name is Kala Anttila," she said, her voice strong yet angelic. "I would agree that my saving your life could be suspicious if I had ulterior motives," Kala answered vaguely, before continuing to eat her own fish. She paused for moment before speaking again. "Besides, you're no stranger."

Her added comment puzzle Viggo for a moment. He had never met this woman before nor seen a dragon like her own. Kala's words only intrigued the injured man. Her words were like throwing a dog a bone they couldn't reach. He would have to pry her for more information.

Viggo leaned forward slightly, slowing eating the food he'd been given. "If I may inquire, how am I not a stranger? You don't know me, we've never met." He spoke calmly and rationally as he always did.

This time there was no hesitation in Kala's answer, "I know exactly who you are, Viggo Grimborn," she said with a monotone voice, almost a hint of anger. Then she smirked and continued, "You're reputation is rather infamous around these parts. Don't tell me the Dragon Hunters' mastermind himself is shocked someone knows who he is." She said with some conserved snark. She was no fool, and Viggo couldn't play her as one. A small smirk appeared on Viggo's face.

"That still doesn't explain why you patched me up," Viggo pried further.

Kala paused this time shifting in her seat, face unreadable. She seemed to be contemplating her next words. Staring into the fire she spoke, "I was flying overhead when I saw that other dragon's lightning blasts. I went down to check it out and I found you. I thought you were dead at first but you weren't. I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to leave you there to die," Kala was leaving out plenty of important information, Viggo knew this but he kept quiet. "A part of me couldn't leave you there to die so we managed to get you here just in time. Even after getting those bandages on you were still knocking at death's door," As she spoke Kala had been staring into the flames, refusing to look at him. Until finally she turned and stared him in the eye, "You're damn lucky to be alive."

Viggo didn't say anything for a moment. She had said so much yet so little. Her eyes danced with a mix of wonder and something unreadable. He wasn't going to get anything else on the subject for now. Perhaps in the future, but not now. Right now, he could appreciate being alive. His future was uncertain, but it could wait.

"You have my sincere gratitude," Viggo said with honesty. It felt strange, actually being grateful to someone. But after everything that has happened to him, he'd be a fool to not appreciate life. Everything went silent for some time. The fire's crackling the only sound between them. In the silence, Viggo stared at Kala's dragon. It was completely foreign to him, he had never seen anything like it in the Dragon Eye. The bioluminescent light it was emanating had died out. It was slender, armed with deadly claws and teeth. It's scales were jet black, practically disappearing in the night.

Kala had noticed his prolonged observations. "Never seen a Tenelux before?" Her question snapped Viggo out of his own mind.

"No, it's brand new to me. And a different name than I would have expected," he replied.

"Not surprising. His kind isn't native this is part of the world. The name Tenelux literally translates to 'dark light'. A more common name is the Bright Shadow." She explained to him. Her head then turned in the direction of the sleeping Skrill. "What's that one called? I've not seen one like it till now," Kala asked with curiosity. Viggo looked at her for a moment, then remembered that the notebook in the small home had no name for it. Her ignorance of the rare dragon confirmed his suspension that she was not from anywhere near the Archipelago.

Viggo gave her an answer, "It's a Skrill. They are dangerous Strike Class dragons. Not very common either."

Kala looked back over to Viggo. Her eyebrows were knit in confusion now. She looked at him once again with unsure scrutiny. "That Skrill seems to care for you in some way. Forgive me, but I wouldn't think someone of your notoriety was a friend of dragons." She said with an almost accusing and angry tone.

He couldn't blame her really. As leader of the Dragon Hunters, he hadn't cared about those who hated him for his business. Outside of Hiccup and the Dragon Riders, he had no problems conducting his work and the money was all that mattered. Everything was different now. His family was all dead, he couldn't adhere to the principles of dragon hunting any longer, and allies for him no longer existed. For once in Viggo's life, he had no clue what to do. "I'm not that person anymore." Viggo said quietly.

The fire was beginning to dwindle. Kala retrieved more wood and tossed it on the fire. The Bright Shadow looked at the logs, attempted to catch fire. Its amber eyes focused on the girl. Viggo only watched as the two interacted. Kala sat back down, and gave the dragon her full attention. She seemed to be thinking before she spoke to the creature. "Try red," was all she said.

The dragon turned to the fire and prepared for a blast. A brilliant red flame erupted from its mouth. For a moment the logs burned red before returning to the usually orange-yellow colour. The fire was once again burning bright and warm by the time the dragon and laid it's head back down. It was a strange ability Viggo had yet to see in a dragon, but it didn't appear as if Kala was about to explain anything.

Viggo opened his mouth to ask when a sudden coughing fit came on. His coughing was hoarse, and an aching pain erupted in his chest. The wounds on his back began to burn as he struggling to breath. Kala ran over to him, an expression of cold worry on her face. The coughing ended, and Viggo could taste blood in his mouth once more. He tried pushing away the girl, "I'm fine."

She was having none of it. With experienced hands she forcibly opened his mouth, turning him towards the fire. With the light, she could see the blood he coughed up. She let go almost just as quickly, a look of worry on her face. "We should get you inside," she suggested, but Viggo knew it was more of an order.

Viggo stood when a sudden wave of dizziness hit him, and he would have fallen over if it wasn't for the shorter woman holding him up. "Your body hasn't nearly replenished all the blood you lost. You'll still be weak for awhile," Kala stated factually. She supported Viggo and helped him back inside. He couldn't help but feel a little pathetic.

Once inside, Kala lit several of the candles around the small space as Viggo sat down on the bed. He watched in pain as she moved to the nightstand and began mixing a strange combination of herbs. In the concoction, she placed several herbs and powders in a mixing bowl along with water. She put it in a cup before giving it to Viggo. "Drink. It will help with your internal injuries and dull the pain."

Viggo took the medicine and drank it quickly. The drink was awfully bitter, and Viggo almost gagged on its awful taste. Upon swallowing he looked at Kala, who was giving him a sympathetic look. "I know, its awful. But it works." She leaned over and checked his back as well. She looked relieved. "You should get some sleep. The more rest you get the faster you'll heal." With that Kala left the building, some of the candles blowing out as she walked past.

Viggo laid down on the bed, trying to get his head to stop spinning. The girl was not the kind of person he was expecting would have saved him. More likely he had expected someone who wanted him for some kind of bargain or ransom. This was a welcome surprise. Before he knew it, Viggo was once again drifting off into sleep, partially at peace knowing that for now, he was at least safe, and alive.


	4. Road to Recovery

Bright sunlight shone through into the cave-like home, shining directly on the inhabitants eyes. Viggo slowly awoke to the daylight, having to move his hand to block the light from burning his eye. Groaning at the aching pain still present in his body, Viggo sat up in the bed.

For the most part everything was quiet, except for the occasional roar of a distant dragon. Swallowing, Viggo found that his throat was parched. Grabbing the water bottle from the nightstand, he drank the cool fluids as fast as he could. Though, he found it rather shallow, soon running out of water. Still thirsty, the man stood up. The place was empty, and seemed to have been that way for the last long while. Looking around, he noticed that his sword had been placed against the wall. Kala must have moved it while he slept. He also saw that the desk looked particularly empty, devoid of the journal that once occupied the surface. Kala was gone, so for the moment, Viggo was alone.

Standing up, the man grabbed the bottle as well as his sword, deciding he would look for water, as well as explore the island that would be his home for the foreseeable future. He pushed the door open and walked into the light. The day was beautiful. The trees of the thick forest were a brilliant green and the ocean was a vibrant blue. Kala was nowhere to be found, and neither was the Skrill. The land sloped down in one direction. Guessing that would be the most likely place to find a river, Viggo began walking into the forest.

As he pushed his way through the brush, Viggo took the time to think. For now it would be best to lay low, stay out of sight. Hiccup had most likely spread word of his death, and currently it was better to stay that way. Krogan and Johann would otherwise have him hunted down, or other people would try to kill him in hopes of a bit of glory. Also, he needed time to heal. He knew arrow wounds in particular were more than often fatal, and could take well over a month to heal completely. It didn't help having six arrow wounds to worry about.

He figured that once he was healed, he would get his revenge on Krogan and Johann. Nobody betrays him and gets away with it. They had tried to kill him twice, and both times he attributed his survival to dragons in some manner. His first attempt at revenge had failed, so he would have to wait. Without a corpse, the Dragon Hunter leaders may think he somehow survived. Johann was no fool, Viggo had learned that lesson the hard way. Wait and watch, that was the best course of action for the time being.

The sound of moving water could be heard in the distance. He must be getting close to a river. As Viggo continued, the trees began to thin out, until the ground abruptly dropped off into a cliff. Down below the waves of the ocean crashed into the rock. Viggo took a moment to just take in the scene of nature, all the smells, sounds and sights. The cool breeze coming from the sea felt good on his heated skin as he sighed at the serenity.

But the relief was short lived. As he continued to walk along the cliff, he came across a cove and a beach. Anchored in the cove was a small ship, sailing the Dragon Hunters sigil. A rowboat was abandoned on the beach. Hunters were here on the island. Now on high alert, Viggo moved through the forest as stealthy as he could, always on the lookout for other people.

As he continued through the forest, he heard the familiar sounds of rushing water: a river was nearby. Following the sound, he came to the stream quickly. The water rushed with speed down the steeper landscape. The river itself was clear and pristine. With nobody around, Viggo dipped the bottle he had brought into the water. When the bottle filled, the man took a moment to wash his face in the cool water. It moved too fast to see his reflection, but the refreshing feeling of a clean face was nice.

Suddenly, Viggo heard a roar and the echoing of a scream far in the distance. Against his better judgement, Viggo decided to check it out. Climbing the landscape, Viggo followed the source of sounds. The trees thinned out, leading to less cover. Sword held tightly in his good hand, Viggo moved cautiously.

Just around a boulder, he found the source of the sounds. A group of dragon hunters all lay dead on the ground. Some were missing limbs, many had bite marks and wounds while others died from something else. This wasn't a safe place. Turning to leave, Viggo came face to face with a Changewing. The predatory dragon bared it's teeth, ready to bite. Viggo stepped back and raised his sword, igniting it.

Behind the Changewing, more uncloaked and began crawling forward. So these are what killed all of the dragon hunters. Moving slowly backwards, Viggo moved the sword in a hypnotic way, trying to distract them. It seemed to work for a moment, giving Viggo a chance get gain some distance. Then his back hit a boulder. Pain erupted throughout his back, he grunted in agony and nearly dropped his sword. The dragons came out of their momentary stupor with fury. The lead Changewing prepared to fire its acid. Knowing he had nowhere to run, Viggo raised his sword in defence to deflect the incoming corrosive substance.

Then out of the sky a blue fire blast hit the Changewing before it could fire. Looking up, Viggo saw Kala riding her dragon and the Skrill trailing behind, battle cries ringing in the air. Kala and her dragon shot multiple blasts of blue fire in attack, causing the air to fill with a distinctive smell that Viggo could not place. The blast hit the ground around the Changewings but not hitting them directly, only wanting to drive them off. The Skrill came down beside Viggo, challenging the leader. Spooked and outmatched, the pack of Changewings flew off, cloaking themselves and disappearing into the sky.

Kala's dragon landed on the ground and Viggo finally got to see what the dragon looked like in the daylight. It's scales were a rich black, similar to a Night Fury. It's body shape however was closer to that of a Razorwhip, except stronger. It's head was something of awe. Horns protruded at the top of it's head backwards, and it's face was longer with fearsome teeth that could rip flesh with ease. Places along its body and wings radiated blue along with it's eyes, different from the previous night's yellow, though now that bioluminescence was fading to nothing once again. It's wings where large and intimidating, and could easily provide with dragon with speed.

The dragon lowered it's neck were Kala rode so that the girl could jump off. She removed her hood from her head and a look of annoyance covered her face. The daylight also provided Viggo a better look at her. Her hair was white, not the blonde he had mistaken in the firelight. Today her hair was not down but instead she had two loose braids atop her head that where then pinned in a bun at the back. Some shorter stray hairs had fallen out. Her clothes hugged her body tightly, but she seemed to have no trouble in moving. She was surprisingly small, at least a foot shorter than Viggo himself. While she may have been thin, it was obvious her lean body was attributed to muscle.

"Curiosity killed the cat you know," she said rather nonchalantly. Her bow and arrows rested on her back and now in the light Viggo could see double daggers on her hip. They were small, but still there. "What are those dragons called anyways? They're rather feral and I haven't asked others." she looked at Viggo, her annoyance gone and replaced with curiosity.

"They're called Changewings." Viggo said simply. Kala nodded before her eyes roamed the bandages on his body. Her eyes stopped on his shoulder and without hesitation she strides over to him with confidence. Viggo couldn't help but find it strange how calm she was approaching and touching him. She checked his wounds with an aloofness, but at the same time she had a cold aura. The woman moved around to check his back, and he heard sigh. "How did you know to come here?" Viggo couldn't help but ask.

Almost as quick as she approached him she moved back, moving her attention to the dead Dragon Hunters. "I saw their ship in a cove and knew they had to be here somewhere. I can't risk them knowing I'm here." she said vaguely. "I guess the Changewings got to them before I did. Less work for me," she added, shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes darted between the bodies as she appeared to be thinking. "We should move their bodies onto their ship and send it out to sea. I don't want the Hunters tracing their death's here." Kala spoke quietly, as if more to herself.

Viggo raised an eyebrow at her. He realized that she had fully intended to kill the hunters regardless, so she was nowhere near as merciful as Hiccup and the Dragon Riders. He had to commend her on her cold-blooded tactics as well her her future planning. "Smart. I doubt Krogan and Johann have the minds to think they died here," he said.

She didn't reply to his comment, instead asking, "How is you back feeling?"

"Sore but not unbearable," Viggo replied.

"Do you know how to properly ride a dragon?" She asked next. The question surprised Viggo and he hesitated in answering. While he had technically rode a dragon in the past, he had never flew with one as a team. He opened his mouth the reply but was met with a dismissive wave. "Of course you don't, stupid question." Kala said for him.

Ticked, a small look of anger appeared on his face. "While I may be no expert, I'm not ignorant in riding dragons." he retorted.

Kala gave him a blank stare, considering his words for a moment. It was almost unnerving to Viggo, how well she could hide her feelings. Even he had trouble deciphering exactly what she was thinking and feeling at any given time. Everything about her was a mystery, and it only stirred a strange feeling of both intrigue and unease in Viggo. Kala turned abruptly, her cloak swishing gracefully at her feet. "Ride with me, it'll be faster," she said as she strode towards her dragon. The Bright Shadow lowered its head so Kala could climb on. While he was still irritated with her telling him what to do, it would do him no good to slow her down.

Viggo followed suit and climbed onto the dragon behind Kala. It's neck was shorter and more muscular than that of a Monstrous Nightmare, but longer than that of a Nadder. Viggo held onto the its neck, the scales underneath his finger were tough yet flexible. The dragon lifted its head and body and walked over to the dragon hunter bodies, grabbing one with each leg. With a single powerful flap of its wings, the dragon took flight. Despite the added weight, the dragon flew with ease, gliding through the air with speed. The cool air rushed past the two on the dragon, almost like a breath of fresh air. Behind them, Viggo spotted the Skrill also carrying two corpses in its talons, it must have copied the Bright Shadow. The trees of the forest rushed by below as Viggo saw the Dragon Hunter's ship come into view.

They came in low and gently landed on the ship. The dragon threw the bodies out from its claws haphazardly. The Skrill dropped down on the deck as well, the bodies thumping unceremoniously. The dragon lowered its head and neck so Kala could jump down easily. Viggo followed slowly, the arrow wounds on his back burning from the movement. Kala looked back at her dragon. "Go get the rowboat," she told it. The animal gave an affirmative growl and flew off towards the beach.

Kala readied her bow and arrow and moved to the ship's cabin door. Pushing the door open, Kala moved with Viggo close behind, holding his sword. However their caution was not needed. The ship was devoid of life. The dragon cages below deck were empty. All that remained on the ship was old supplies the hunters had.

Kala moved towards the captain's quarters and opened the door. Inside was a table with documents and gold on it. Placing her bow on her back, Kala snatched all of the gold and papers from the desk. She also took a moment to sort through the drawers and boxes in the room but found nothing else of worth. Above, a loud thud was heard along with growling. Kala turned back to Viggo who still stood in the doorway. The whole time, Viggo had simply watched her with interest as she moved around the cabin with both experience and ease. This was obviously not the first time something like this has occurred for her. "Find everything you need?" He asked with a smirk and a small tone of amusement and distain. Just how long has this been going on?

Kala never replied to his question, though she seemed to be happy with her finds. "We should go, the sooner we get this ship away from the island the better."

The two went back up onto the deck into the fading sunlight. The sun was beginning to set behind the island. They heard playful growls that turned out to be coming from the two dragons. The Skrill and the Bright Shadow seemed to be rough housing in a lighthearted way. Fumbling with the papers, Kala pulled out a map with lines indicating the ship's course of travel. From this island, the hunters were supposed to head north. Kala walked to the wheel to turn the boat in the correct direction while Viggo pulled the anchor up without having to be asked with some difficulty. The wind caught in the sails and the ship lurched forward.

"I believe that's enough for one day. We should head back, I need to reapply those bandages. You're starting to bleed through them." Kala said. The woman gave a whistle and her dragon came to her in stride. She put the papers and gold in almost-full bags before climbing on. While she did that Viggo looked at the bandages he could see. Sure enough, the bandages on his shoulder and left arm had small red spots growing where his wounds are. He was sure it was a similar situation on his back. With oncoming fatigue he followed Kala onto the dragon.

A silence fell between the two as the dragon leaped into the air once more, taking flight. With a few powerful flaps it had climbed high above the island. The ship sailed off north as they flew over the island. Viggo thought back to what Kala took from the ship, and his interest in why continued to increase until he asked, "So why did you take those papers and gold from the ship exactly?"

"The documents are extra information on their movements as well as useful maps. The gold I took because it's nice to have that extra money on hand. Especially when I'm in need of medical supplies," she retorted back. Once again the two were quiet. The trees passed by below and they wasted no time heading towards the southern end of the island where Kala's home resided.

As the sun set in the west casting a beautiful orange glow on the ocean, the reached the little home. Upon landing the two people climbed off the dragon. Kala grabbed the bags from the dragon before going into the cave-home without a word.

The air was beginning to cool off as dusk set in. Despite his injuries Viggo set about starting a fire. As he stacked the wood the pain in his back slowly increased. Kala's dragon watched him with interest. Once the firewood was ready and dragon moved its intimidating head closer. Everything about the creature was foreign and exotic. If Viggo was still with the Dragon Hunters, it would definitely be just as valuable as a Night Fury. The dragon look between the pile of wood and Viggo, it's amber eyes almost feeling like a burn. Parts along its body began to glow as it lit the wood on fire, burning a bright yellow-orange. The wood caught fire fast, and soon the nearby area was warmed by it's heat.

Viggo heard the door open and turned to see Kala coming towards him with a small bag. "If you could sit down that would be helpful," she said in a kinder tone. Without question Viggo sat on the log facing the fire. He heard the bag thump onto the ground and turned to look. The bag was full on bandages, bottles and jars as well as a box. Kala also brought out some clean rags and a bucket of water.

She grabbed the old box and placed it on the log beside Viggo and opened it. Inside were several medical tools. First she grabbed the small scissors. Her dragon lay close by with its body glowing bright, giving the woman the light she needed to work. Viggo felt her dainty hands glide along the old bandages before cutting through the cloth. A uncomfortable silence hung between the two as she slowly pulled off the bandages, careful to not disturb the wounds underneath.

As she cut the dirty cloth away, Kala threw the bandages into the fire. When she did, Viggo could see just how severe his wounds were based on the discarded cloth. Tiny sections of dead flesh clung to heavily bloodstained gauze. The exposed skin on his back could finally breath and the air felt cold. Once she was finished with his back, she moved on to the bandages around his shoulder arm. Viggo had to turn his head to even see her, considering it was on his left side.

Finally she broke the silence. "I never asked, how exactly you got hurt? Betrayal?" She asked with genuine curiosity. While she didn't look at him, instead looking at her task, Viggo could still see her eyes dancing with inquisitiveness.

He thought for a moment as she cut the last of the cloth from his body, tossing it into the fire. Sparks flew into the air as Kala moved to his right, rummaging through the bag. As she spoke, she began pulling out ripped tough strings from each of his wounds. "Johann and Krogan decided I was disposable. First they tried to kill me by causing a cave-in after I was given false information. I was saved by a Monstrous Nightmare. After, I sought out the help of my old adversary Hiccup as well as the Skrill to get revenge and cripple their operation by attaining the Dragon Eye Lenses. Our plan failed when Johann figured it out. I and the Skrill stayed back so Hiccup could escape. I thought I would die in that cove." Viggo explained his situation briefly to Kala.

"I can only imagine the shock you felt upon first waking up." She jested before going silent. From beside her, she had grabbed a bottle of a liquid and soaked one of the rags with it. "I'm assuming your attitude towards dragons has drastically changed as of late?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Viggo gave a small chuckle. "That's one way to put it," he replied. As Kala set the bottle down, she moved to his back once more. He could see the wounds on his front. The wound on his shoulder and arm had a ripped tough string stitched through his skin. He felt her pick the black string out of the wounds on his back before preparing the clean them.

"This is going to sting, but I need to kill any infection before your wound festers." She said, before gently tapping at one of the arrow wounds. Viggo gave a sharp breath at the pain. The sterilization was almost worse than the actual wound.

Viggo asked his own question to try and distract himself from the burning pain. "Where did you learn your healing skills? They are far more advanced than most." Viggo said, struggling to keep his breathing even against the agony he was suffering.

Kala spoke as she worked, her experienced hands working to cause the man as little extra pain as possible. She knew all to well just how awful it could be. "My mother was my tribe's healer, so she passed her skills down to me. Sort of like a family tradition. Though I've found that we always were a little more advanced than others in medical techniques for injuries and disease." She said before moving to the next wound and soaking it in the sterilizing substance. A new wave of pain hit Viggo and he inhaled sharply out of instinct.

Through the pain, Viggo asked another question. "Where are you from originally? How long have you been in the area?" The questions had been nagging him since he figured out she wasn't from anywhere near the Archipelago.

He focused his eyes on the glowing fire in front of him and his ears on her voice, trying to push the burning agony to the back of his mind. "I'm from a place called Nuile. It's west. Far west. You could never reach it by just flying on a dragon, one would die of exhaustion before you even got close. Where I lived was more like one giant landmass as opposed to the many islands that dot the ocean here," she replied at first. Then she moved to the next arrow wound. She went quiet for a moment, like she was thinking. "I left my tribe about 7 or a 8 years ago. Since then I've been travelling the world. I only came to the area a couple weeks ago." Her answer was vague, and left much to wonder about.

She finished the last of the wounds on Viggo's back and moved to his side once again. Her fingers worked fast in cleaning the other two wounds. "Most of what I've learned here has been through observation, eavesdropping and asking the right questions to talkative merchants." She added as she finished.

As the burning of his wounds ebbed away, Kala got a new rag and soaked it in clean water. She let the liquid drip onto each of his wounds, washing away any leftover cleaning solution. Viggo still wanted to know more. "Your dragon is unlike any I've seen. Tell me about it." As he spoke Kala grabbed an ointment from her bag.

As she spoke she gently rubbed some of the substance into each of his wounds, it felt cool and soothed the pain. "His name is Midnight, I named him for the time and place of his hatching. The Tenelux are a rare species that live where I am from. They are usually solitary predators and can live in a range of environments." Once each of his wounds had the the strange substance on them, Kala cleaned a small needle and retrieved stitches. She spoke as she very carefully re-stitched the wounds. "When my older brother and I went out one day, we found a dead mother dragon in the mountains along with two eggs. We each took one and camped out on Midnight's Ridge that night. My egg happened to hatch that night, and my brother's hatched in the morning. I've had my dragon ever since."

"Where is your brother now?" Viggo asked.

"He's dead." She replied simply.

As she finished Viggo's thoughts drifted to his own deceased sibling, Ryker. It had been so long since Viggo actually thought the betrayal his suffered at the hands of his older brother. Kala's voice broke his thoughts. "I heard you also had an older brother. Ryker was it? It must have been hard not only getting double crossed, but also losing your only family." She said quietly.

Viggo was surprised that she actually knew so much. Often when she spoke, it was almost like she was taunting him with just how much she knew. However it wasn't surprising that some informants may know and gossip about his failures. He didn't reply to her, invisibly stung by her bringing the topic up. Finally Kala grabbed bandages from the bag and began wrapping up his wounds. She was careful to make them tight, yet still loose enough to not be too uncomfortable. 

"There. The ointment I put on should help dull the pain and keep infection away. You're still looking at a maybe 3 weeks of recovery," Kala told the injured man. She packed her supplies back into the bag. "For the first few days you are healing quite well. These bandages have to stay on for awhile, especially if you overexert yourself and reopen the wounds. It will be awhile before you can travel though."

Kala returned her bag to the cave, and came out with food. Kala's dragon Midnight let it's bioluminescence fade out and moved over to a secluded spot underneath a pine tree. The Skrill, which had been idly standing by, moved over the Viggo and sniffed him in curiosity. The lighting dragon layed down, with it's head on the log beside Viggo. The man placed his hand upon the Skrill's head, stroking it's scales. It still felt strange, having any kind of friendship with a dragon.

Kala watched with intrigue just a few feet away. "How did a man like you bond with a Skrill? It's a strangely strong bond it seems, otherwise it would have simply left you." The woman asked.

"My first plan to take revenge on Johann and Krogan required the help of a Skrill as it is the Singetail's only predator. When Hiccup and I attacked, we used the Skrill to distract the Flyers while we got inside. They managed to capture it, so when I got the chance I freed it." Viggo explained, still somewhat perplexed himself. The dragon was close to falling asleep by Viggo's strokes.

Kala nodded at his explanation, and had no further comments. "Well until those wounds heal, I'm afraid you won't be able to travel effectively. So you are stuck here for quite awhile."

Stuck on an island with little to do wasn't ideal. As they ate, Viggo asked, "You ever play Maces and Talons? With so much time on our hands we'll need some entertainment."

"I've acquired a set at the markets, but I've never played," Kala answered.

"Care to learn?"


	5. Conflicts Ablaze Part 1

A little over two weeks has passed since Viggo's brush with death at the hands of the Dragon Hunters. Since then he has been on a unknown island recovering thanks to a foreigner named Kala. Despite their different lives the two had come to some sort of friendship.

Viggo had noticed some things about Kala's day that, while not totally consistent, still seemed to be a normal part of her life. She was usually gone in the dark of the morning and returned by noon. She said she was exploring the surrounding areas, fishing and practicing - while she never usually elaborated on what 'practice' was, Viggo guessed it was archery or some other fighting. If she was gone any longer, she had more than likely went to the Northern Markets or another trading centre for supplies.

In his recovering state, Viggo slept more than he was used too. He had a sneaking suspicion it was because of the healing herbs Kala often gave him. While this should have angered him, he was a little grateful. Not only did those herbs keep the pain at bay so he could sleep restfully, the excessive sleep helped pass the time. There was little to do on the island, and Viggo would often find himself bored out of his mind.

The mornings or afternoons when Kala was gone, Viggo would try to find ways to keep his active mind entertained. He'd read through the books Kala had acquired and shifted through the many documents and maps. Many of them he recognized as coming from the dragon hunters. Others were more unfamiliar. It was rare that she left behind the journal that contained her own illustrations and observations, but when she did Viggo found it fascinating to view an outsiders perspective on the dragons he had known for a long time.

Sometimes he found himself wandering the island, often in the company of the Skrill. The lightning dragon had been a strange source of companionship, but a welcome one. After having hunted dragons all his life, it was an unusual feeling to have one as a comrade, but still pleasant. It wasn't uncommon that feelings of guilt and almost regret arose in Viggo, but he pushed those feelings away.

As time went on, Viggo found himself spending more and more of his free time with the lightning dragon. He learned more about the individual creature's personality over time. This Skrill in particular was intelligent, similar to that of the Night Fury. It started with the dragon following him, almost like it was stalking prey. It shadowed him out of intrigue and later Viggo discovered the dragon followed to protect him. The island wasn't without it's dangers after all. Despite many a chance to leave, the Skrill had made it evident he planned to stay with Viggo. In fact, the man wasn't even sure what to make of the situation himself. He had assumed the solitary predator would disappear and return to whatever it's previous life had been, but that has not been the case. It wanted to stick around and for now, Viggo was alright with that.

When alone, time hardly seemed to move as the minutes ticked by. But when Kala returned, the day always became more interesting. At first, the woman was highly secretive, rarely sharing the day's events upon her return to the island. Over the days though the two became more comfortable around each other. And while Kala was still reluctant to openly share her deeper feelings, she felt at ease around the man. Viggo picked up on her more relaxed body language as the days passed by.

Even from the beginning he noticed other small things about her. She was the most at ease whenever she was acting as a healer. Whether that be checking his own wounds or rummaging through her stock, the medical practice was clearly something important to her. He'd also noticed that in their various conversations, she asked a lot of questions. She was intelligent and inquisitive not just about him, but about everything of relevance. Her questions were also often aimed with intent and while this was helpful, she had an awful habit of becoming too nosy. It wasn't surprising that she was able to learn so much from her travels.

Despite her openness to sharing her extensive knowledge on healing and the human body, as well as the many types of people and dragons she encountered, the woman was still secretive around her profession and skills as well as why she did anything. Viggo had to commend her for keeping quiet on the matter for so long, but it was also infuriating, like she didn't trust him. Even though he could not call her a close friend, there was still a strange relief around knowing that there was no ulterior motivation to their relationship.

In the evenings they would both converse over the fire about several subjects ranging from dragons to childhood memories, each slowly learning about the other. At night the two always found themselves playing Maces and Talons. At first the game was very one-sided, with Viggo easily winning. But Kala was a fast learner and became better with every game. Viggo found that her strategies changed almost every time they began a new game. Strategies that worked well in her favour would reappear whereas those that failed were often discarded and mostly forgotten. Viggo often had to counter her moves with new ideas. As she improved, Kala pushed Viggo to alter his own choices. She came close to winning once, but between the two Viggo was still the uncontested champion.

Today had started like every other day. Viggo woke up alone to the bright sunlight of the day. To try to keep himself busy, he gathered firewood and fished. He had the island practically memorized, so exploring it was out of the question to kill time. Viggo also danced with the idea of riding the Skrill but the idea never got off the ground. Not only were his wounds not healed enough to fly properly, the Skrill was still skittish. Any time Viggo moved towards the dragon's back, it moved away, still unsure of having an actual rider.

Currently Viggo had a fire crackling in the dusk. He quietly cooked the fish he caught earlier for both himself and the Skrill. The sun was setting behind the ocean, and the sky slowly darkened, no moon in sight. Something was off; Kala had not returned. She had never returned late, and as much as Viggo wanted to ignore the growing pit in his stomach, he was worried. Just what caused her to be late? Had something happened?

<<<<<>>>>>

Earlier that morning, just as the sun peaked over the horizon, Kala flew off on her dragon towards a trading centre. With her she only had bow and arrows along with some gold. Over the past couple weeks she looted a few more dragon hunter ships and planned to buy the medicine that she required, as well as some resources to make more arrows.

The woman was dressed conservatively. She wore her classic black leathers that practically covered her body and hugged her skin. Her thigh high boots were also black along with her fingerless gloves. Larger parts of darkened lustreless steel acted as armour on her shoulders, forearms and shins and smaller bits were woven into the leather on her chest and back. Kala also wore a black cloak with a hood to help hide her identity. The clothing she wore had reason to be what it was, and had served her well throughout her life. She knew the hard black would stick out during the day, but daylight was not when she was concerned with hiding.

Now in the cool morning air, Kala let her cloak flap in the wind as her hair whipped back. The cold air was refreshing as she and her dragon flew through it. Few clouds littered the sky in it's beautiful blue-orange hues. Midnight flew with grace and speed, maneuvering between tight sea stacks with ease. As her dragon moved, Kala stood on his back, balancing with the movements.

For the day Kala had planned to buy the resources she needed from a nearby trading centre before returning to the island and training. As the sea stacks thinned out, Kala sat down and directed her dragon to fly high. Today was a god day and the wind moved with them. Midnight rarely had to flap his wings, able to glide at a quick pace and stay aloft with the strong winds.

Within a couple hours Kala reached the trading post island thanks to the tailwind. As the island came into sight the woman pulled up her hood, tucking her white hair back. Midnight dived from their height to fly as close to the ocean as possible. They flew around to the forested side of the island. Kala was no fool and knew there was a high chance that Dragon Hunters or those of like were roaming the markets. She needed to hide her dragon in the dense forests as she went about her business.

She had been to this market place several times in the past, and knew exactly where to hide Midnight. Deep within the island's forests was a beautiful fern canyon that stretched tall and far. Sometimes, the dense ferns hid small winding tunnels, carved from ancient rivers. Kala had been lucky, and found one large enough to hide Midnight.

The pair flew in low, skirting just above the treetops, moving unseen toward the canyon. Below the green flashed by quickly and Kala's eyes searched for their destination. Soon, the forest floor dropped off, revealing the deep ravine. Midnight suddenly dived, disappearing from the sky into the green vegetation.

The black dragon landed gracefully onto the canyon floor, almost silent. Kala jumped down from where she sat. A bag of gold was strapped to her belt, hiding behind her cloak lest any unfortunate pick-pocketer thought they could steal it. Though her quiver and bow were strapped on her back, highly visible. The clear weapon would help deter others.

The pair walked down the canyon, admiring the thick ferns that intertwined as they climbed the walls. Water trickled down the plants onto the rock bottom, meeting up into a small stream. As she walked towards her hiding place for Midnight, Kala found peace in the fleeting serenity.

All too soon they reached the hiding place. Pushing aside a certain patch of woven ferns revealed an old cavern, long since carved. Midnight crawled in, prepared to nap in the secret darkness. Once the dragon was inside, Kala moved the ferns back into place as if they never moved.

Kala began walking upstream, her experienced footsteps hardly making a sound against the stone underfoot. The ground gradually became steeper as she walked uphill. As the canyon walls shortened, the ferns thinned out, until there was only bare rock. The forest the canyon led to lacked undergrowth and brush. Instead, there were only several tall trees with leaves isolated to the tops. Kala couldn't help but feel a little bare and exposed despite the various tree trunks surrounding her. Out of habit she pulled her hood closer, as if to hide.

The sounds of a bustling market grew ever louder as Kala walked towards the market place. Soon the treeline was visible, and just beyond that was the trading centre in an open meadow. Several tents and wooden stands were lined up in rows, each housing it's own service. The market was a fair distance away from the ocean and harbour where merchants carried their goods. People from all walks of life travelled along a cobblestone road towards the market as the day was beginning.

The morning sun edged ever closer to being overhead while people began pouring into the marketplace from the harbour. Kala walked through the tall grass, pulling her hood closer to her face. Too often these trading places would be filled with Dragon Hunters, criminals and thugs. There was always the chance someone might recognize her. It was better to take precautions.

Kala took her time browsing through the many traders featuring weaponry. She looked for arrows already made, as well as parts that would allow her to make her own. While she preferred to recycle as many arrows as she could, it was inevitable that she would lose them eventually. The more she had, the less often she needed to return to trading centres. Finding them was an easy task, the trouble was finding sturdy arrows with heads that could do damage.

By noon Kala had found her weapons, and while the price had been high, having quality weapons was worth it. Around this time the place was crowded with people trying to get what they needed, and it wasn't uncommon to see a fight break out. Kala did well in avoiding them, pushing her white hair back and again pulling at her hood.

With the weaponry she needed the woman moved toward the stalls that contained the various medicinal items she wanted. Not only did she need to restock on the herbs she had used on Viggo, she needed a supply of herbs for many other ailments. The herbs she needed were far easier to find and price out, since few stalls sold anything medical related.

The midday sun was bright in the sky by the time Kala was done. She had made good time and didn't run into any trouble. With everything she needed tucked away in a satchel, Kala began making her way out of the trading post.

Then, as she was walking past the food shops, two young men caught her eye. A blonde, large, stocky guy standing with a scrawny brown-haired boy. She was going to just walk past them, get off the island before anything could happen, but then a flash of metal caught her eye. The thin one had a prosthetic. Then it clicked; that must be Hiccup Haddock, the boy Viggo spoke off, though she didn't know the other. Kala stopped in her tracks, her curiosity peaked.

Not only was she interested in meeting the famed Hiccup Haddock the lll, she wanted to see his Night Fury. It was a childish wish, but still her interest kept her in the markets, tailing the two Dragon Riders inconspicuously. She'd have to be careful not to make herself obvious. As she figured out her next move, Kala followed the two, pretending she was just a simple consumer.

<<<<<>>>>>

Hiccup and Fishlegs walked with haste around the markets, looking for food as well as tools Hiccup required. The Northern Markets had become far too dangerous to go to anymore, so they were scouting out this newer place. The two had taken precautions, and hidden their dragons in the forest. But this place was in a field, so if trouble did occur, it would be harder to reach their dragons.

Despite the risk the market had provided everything they needed, it was a relief. While they had seen a couple Dragon Hunters and Flyers, none had recognized them yet.

"There, thats the last of what we need. Now how about we get out of here before trouble finds us." Hiccup said cheerfully to Fishlegs. The blonde man smiled, carrying a satchel full of supplies.

"Yeah that sounds good. I'm starting to get the creeps." Fishlegs replied, relief evident in his voice.

As the Dragon Riders walked between the stands, Hiccup had noticed a dark cloaked person that seemed to be following them. The black cloak and bow they carried on their back unnerved Hiccup. Had someone recognized them?

Quietly, Hiccup moved closer to Fishlegs and whispered, "Do you seen the black hooded person over there? I think they're following us." He spoke so only Fishlegs could hear him.

Fishlegs placed back, and saw the figure his friend spoke of. "Yeah. We should go. Do you think it's a bounty hunter?" He replied, his footsteps quickening.

"Could be. The last hooded stranger we ran into turned out to be Krogan. I would prefer to avoid a similar situation." Hiccup answer. He also began to walk faster, wanting to get out of the sketchy trading post as fast as possible without attracting unwanted attention.

The Dragon Riders walked out of the markets through the main road, watching out for danger. The stranger that had been following them remained in the markets, not leaving. Perhaps Hiccup was just being paranoid. Upon reaching where the road meets the tree line, the two turned into the forest. The further they went, the more sure Hiccup felt that nobody had followed them.

Suddenly, Hiccup heard a screech from the sky and before he could react, a barrage of fireballs burst in front of them. Hiccup almost dropped his supplies in shock. Looking up, he saw a group of Dragon Flyers riding Singetails. "Run!" He called out to Fishlegs as they both ran as fast as they could between the trees.

Above the Singetails shrieked with each attack. Fireballs hit the trees, setting the nearby plants on fire. "Toothless!" Hiccup called for his dragon that was hidden somewhere among the vegetation.

"Meatlug!" Fishlegs yelled. The larger young man was breathing hard from both fear and sprinting. "Hiccup how'd they know we were here?" He clued out between rapid breaths.

"I don't know. One of them probably recognized us. Maybe it was that cloaked person." Hiccup called back over the blasts.

Hiccup dared look back, and saw a Singetail blast a fireball right towards him. Just as the sphere of burning flames hurtled towards him, a plasma blast hit it, spreading the damage and missing the one-legged viking. Hiccup turned and saw Toothless along with Meatlug, prepared to protect their riders. A smile appeared on both riders' faces. "Toothless! Just in time."

Hiccup and Fishlegs ran over to their dragons, happy to see them. Quickly they climbed on and took to the skies. Several Dragon Flyers circled overhead. "We have to get out of here!" Hiccup called to Fishlegs, there was no chance they could win a fight. Together they flew towards the open ocean.

Hiccup's heart pounded in his ears as he urged Toothless to fly faster. But then a line of Singetails cut off their route towards the ocean. Simultaneously the Dragon Flyers forced their dragons to fire. The dragon riders dodged the incoming attack and turned to avoid them. But upon turning, more Singetails had blocked their back. Panic began to set in as they closed in, completely surrounding them. "Fly up! It's our only way!" Hiccup called to his friend in desperation. Toothless and Meatlug turned to fly up but again were cut off by Singetails. The Dragon Riders were trapped.

The Flyers looked at the two with smug expressions. The leader raised an arm, and on cue several others raised ropes with metal balls: bolas'.

"Plasma blast Toothless!" Hiccup shouted.

"Meatlug, spew!" Fishlegs yelled in kind.

Together the two dragons were able to hit some of the Flyers, freeing the respective Singetails in the process. The small victory was short-lived. The lead Flyer lowered his arm and those that remained all threw their trapping weapons. With the little space they had Hiccup and Fishlegs tried to dodge. Both riders were hit, and the bolas' trapped their arms against their bodies. The weapons were too tight to struggle free.

Then, the leader shouted "Fire!"

A barrage of flames hit the riders from above. The force and heat combined caused the riders to fall from their dragons.

Hiccup and Fishlegs screamed in both pain and fear as Singetails swooped down. One caught Fishlegs in it's claws while Hiccup was caught by a Flyer himself.

"Toothless, no!" Hiccup called as he could do nothing but watch as his dragon struggled to fly alone. The Flyers wasted no time to capturing the dragons with fireproof nets. Surrounded, outnumbered and outmatched, Meatlug and Toothless stood no chance of escape. Hiccup only struggled harder against his binds and against the Flyer. "Let us go! You have no idea who you're dealing with!" Hiccup yelled at the flyer with anger and conviction.

The Flyer only laughed maliciously at the rider's futile attempt at fighting back. "We'll have captured you're friend and dragon long before you stand a chance of escape." He replied with an evil smirk. Hiccup watched with horror as Toothless and Meatlug were seized and unable to fight back.

One Singetail carried Toothless by a long rope and two more carried Meatlug, holding the gronckle far closer due to her heavier weight. As a unit the Flyers that were left regrouped. "Good job. Now lets get these two back to Krogan and Johann for questioning," The leader called out, a menacing smirk was plastered on his face.

Hiccup looked to Fishlegs, and then to Toothless, deflating with defeat. The dragons growled in sadness. How could this have happened? This newer trading post was supposed to be peaceful.

Just as Hiccup was losing all hope, something from down below the trees caught his eye. Then, an arrow whizzed by out of the trees, and cut the rope holding Toothless. As his dragon and best friend fell into the green leaves below, Hiccup looked back, and saw a familiar black cloaked figure below.

<<<<<>>>>>

Kala was struggling to follow the Dragon Riders through the stalls without being too obvious. She had caught them glancing her way and she had a suspicion they knew something wasn't right. Soon they began to leave, walking down the road towards the harbour. Kala sighed, a little miffed a chance to confront them hadn't occurred. Perhaps it was for the best though, meant that trouble stayed away.

Soon Kala tired of the crowds of consumers and began making her way towards the fern canyon to leave. Then she heard a loud screech from the forest. She turned on her heel and moved to that side of the marketplace. People began panicking, and running for cover. Looking out, she saw several unfamiliar dragons flying above the trees, trapping a gronckle, and another black dragon. Kala quickly pulled out a spyglass so she could actually see. She saw Hiccup and his friend riding their dragons, and they needed help.

Kala didn't know who the enemy was, but she did know that the two riders stood no chance being so outnumbered. For a moment she wanted to turn and run, back to her dragon and out of here. After all this wasn't her fight. But the urge to help the riders was enough to keep her feet rooted. She was unsure of what was best. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to truly know of her presence, but if she didn't act, those two would most likely be captured.

She remained frozen, broken up about the right thing she should do, until several loud blasts occurred over the forest. Kala clenched her fist in conflict, before running towards the air battle. While she was not physically strong, she traded in strength for speed and agility. The woman ran through the grass swiftly, sprinting with all her speed. Once in the trees, she dodged the tree trunks, following the screeches. Just as she saw the dragons and their riders fall out of the sky she was below them, breathing hard.

Quickly she climbed a nearby tree just as the enemy had captured the riders and began flying away. Standing on a branch and leaning against the trunk, Kala pulled her bow from her back, drawing a single arrow. It was like slow motion, Kala taking but a second to aim, she had a perfect shot at the rope that held the Night Fury. Heart pounding in her ears from adrenaline, she released the arrow. The arrow flew, and cut the rope with precision, causing the dragon to fall into the trees and startling the enemy.

Kala then began jumping from tree branch to tree branch with experienced movements. She needed to reach that dragon and make sure it wasn't recaptured. Her agility and increased experience with balance helped aid her in reaching the dragon in no time. From her high position, she could see the Night Fury had managed to free itself from the net confines.

"Recover the Nigh Fury! And get that stranger! The rest of you can leave!" Kala heard one of the men holler. The Night Fury began shooting its plasma blasts at the enemy, trying to fight back as four Singetails dived at them. Kala quickly drew back another arrow, hitting one Flyer in the shoulder, the force causing him to fall. The others were shot off from the Night Fury's accurate blasts. The freed Singetails flew off.

"Toothless!" Kala heard Hiccup call from the air. The Night Fury look to him, and roared in anger. The gronckle and other boy were already to far away, but not Hiccup. The Flyer was smart, and moved the boy so the dragon would not fire. But that didn't stop Kala. Pulling back a final arrow, she aimed up and at an angle. She let go, and watched as her arrow flew up, and then down. It hit the flyer on top of his shoulder, and buried itself deep underneath his collarbone. The flyer screamed in pain, providing Hiccup the chance to escape.

Kala could only watch helplessly as the rider fell. Then, his Night Fury took off in his direction. The woman followed from the treetops, but even she could not keep up with the dragon.

She stopped suddenly, hidden among the leaves. After having helped them at least partly, she could run in the other direction, and pretend like she never had intervened. But still, she had a feeling this wasn't over and against her better judgement, jumped down onto the grass below and followed.

<<<<<>>>>>

Hiccup watched with worry as the cloaked figure followed below towards his dragon. With Toothless free, Hiccup only struggled harder, causing his captor to pull on his ropes harder. Then, out of the leaves, another arrow appeared, and was headed towards them. The weapon pierced theFlyers armour and skin, resulting in agony Hiccup could only imagine. The injured man screamed, and let go of Hiccup to try to tend to his wound. Hiccup rolled off, and fell towards the trees.

"Toothless!" Hiccup called for his friend, his voice laced with fear and alarm.

Reliable as always Toothless managed to catch him just before he hit the ground, saving him. Hiccup groaned as they rolled on the ground an landed, but couldn't help but laugh a little in relief. Toothless growled affectionately at him, glad that at least the boy was safe. The dragon cut the ropes that bound Hiccup, freeing him quickly. "Thanks bud." Hiccup said, patting the Night Fury's head.

Out in the distance Hiccup looked out and saw the rest of the Singetails retreating, with Meatlug and Fishlegs in tow. There was too many for Hiccup to fight alone, and they were moving fast. Hiccup's shoulder's sagged in defeat.

Then a spark of panic shot through him again, what had happened to that cloaked stranger? With urgency Hiccup jumped onto Toothless, both boy and dragon glancing around in search of the archer that saved them. A crunching of twigs and grass underfoot could be heard from the forest, and Toothless bared his teeth, prepared to shoot. The small cloaked stranger appeared for behind the trees, their bow on their back.

"Who are you? Who do you work for?" Hiccup called out to them in a biting tone. The stranger stopped, putting their hands out in front of them, showing they meant no harm. Then, their hands moved up to their hood, and hesitated before removing their hood. The archer was revealed to be a woman as her hair fell out. A part of Hiccup's misgivings were gone; this was no what he was expecting.

"My name is Kala, and I work for nobody but myself," the woman said with a strange accent Hiccup had not heard before. For a moment a look of passing confusion crossed Hiccup's face. This small woman, who was clearly not a viking, was not what he expected.

Hiccup quickly gave his head a shake, and resumed glaring. "You were following us earlier, how come? And why did you help me?" Hiccup said, though his cutting tone wasn't as strong.

Kala stood rather nonchalantly despite her intense gaze as she thought of her answer. Then, the archer sighed and looked out into the forest, a flash of embarrassment evident in her reddening cheeks. "I was following you because I wanted to meet your Night Fury." Kala admitted sheepishly. Quickly the moment vanished and her gaze was once again just as intense as before. "I wasn't going to help because I knew it would only lead to trouble. But I did because it was the right thing to do and I couldn't just leave you without doing anything. I'm sorry I couldn't free your friend." She answered with solemn and honesty.

Hiccup breathed out a sigh of relief and allowed his body to relax along with Toothless. "Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you." Hiccup replied graciously.

Kala gave him a nod, acknowledging his thanks. "It was nothing." She said. Then her eyes drifted downwards to Toothless. The woman took a couple steps forward, before stopping. She looked back up and said, "May I?" while gesturing to the Night Fury.

"Uh, of course." Hiccup responded, jumping off of his own dragon. He could only watch perplexed as the archer gently approached and pet Toothless' head soothingly. Her eyes danced with wonder and a small smile was etched on her face.

"I've only heard stories of the elusive Night Fury. Last I heard they were all gone." Hiccup heard the woman say in her foreign accent. Toothless seemed to enjoy her experienced touch until she pulled away, not wanting to overstay her welcome. "I should be going, and you should too. They took your friend due west. If you hurry, you may catch them."

Hiccup was surprised by the woman's sudden want to leave, but he couldn't let her go just yet. Just as the woman turned to leave, Hiccup called out. "Wait! Please."

Surprisingly she stopped, waiting on what he had to say. The one-legged viking wasted no time in stopping her. "Those Flyers were moving fast and I don't have time to put together a rescue party. I need to help Fishlegs now and I don't know if I can do it alone." Hiccup told her. He spoke no lies; there was a very real possibility they may just kill Fishlegs, and time was of the essence. She also appeared to be highly skilled. He didn't know this stranger, but she helped him once, at least he could ask.

Kala simply turned away from him, her feet still rooted to the ground. In that moment she didn't look like she would help Hiccup felt his heart sink. "Please, they could torture and kill my friend. Even worse, Johann and Kogan could learn our secrets and there may be no stopping them then."

Hiccup noticed that the woman turned to him once he mentioned his particular foes, intrigue and anxiety written on her face. Her different coloured eyes darted around his face, then to Toothless. Soon she closed her eyes tightly, conflicted as too what she should do. After several tense moments of silence, Kala finally opened her eyes and looked to him. "Okay, I'll help. On one condition. If this is a rescue mission and it's just us, you follow me. I've done work like this before." She said, her voice thick with still present apprehension.

Hiccup thought for a moment, worried he couldn't trust her. But the situation was too dire to worry. "Okay, I accept. Now lets get going." Hiccup said, jumping back onto Toothless who roared.

Still hesitant in her choice, she tentatively climbed on behind Hiccup. "First, we have to go get my dragon."

"Your dragon?"

To be continued...


	6. Conflicts Ablaze Part 2

The midday sun was bright and warm, shining upon the two strangers riding in an aura of despair. The white haired foreigner rode quietly behind Hiccup as he tried not to second-guess his hasty decision to trust her. Together they rode Toothless over the trees, and soon over the marketplace. The chaos that had ensued earlier had all but diminished as people returned to continue their trading as if nothing had happened.

Kala directed him to the opposite side of the island, a fair distance from the trade centre. "Look for a fern canyon, I'll help guide you." She said. Hiccup faced forward, but couldn't help but glance back occasionally. She was completely comfortable riding Toothless through the sky. The woman was looking down without a hint of fear at the height. Hiccup had to wonder what exactly her dragon was like. She was so strange, and clearly from far away, certainly her dragon would be the same. He couldn't push down his itching excitement at the possibility of a new dragon species.

Behind him the archer's eyes scanned the forest, until she found what she was looking for. "Down there!" She called above the wind. Below, Hiccup could see the never-ending green.

Toothless dived down past the trees and below the ground into the ravine. In the sunlight the ferns curtaining the rock walls were vibrantly green. For just a moment Hiccup enjoyed the view of the glistening plants. Perhaps when this was all over, he could bring Astrid here.

The Night Fury descended with ease until finally landing on the canyon floor. Both riders jumped off the dragon and Kala immediately began walking forward. Then she moved to the fern wall, her fingertips gently brushing through the hanging greenery. Then, her thin fingers began to hook the plants, and slowly she pulled back a veil of ferns. A dark cave was revealed and though Hiccup could not see directly inside, he heard a low and threatening growl.

Kala reached a hand out to the darkness. "Shh. It's okay, I've brought a friend." She spoke so sweetly, Hiccup could almost have sworn she was a different person than the one he had made a deal with. Behind him, Hiccup could hear the oncomings of a growl from Toothless. But it wasn't angry, in fact it sounded friendly.

Kala began to back up from the dark cave, coaxing out whatever dragon was hidden. Then, like a shadow taken physical form, a creature of death emerged from the pitch black. Hardened scales ready for battle, sharp talons and teeth prepared to kill and a head that inspired fear were just the first things Hiccup noticed. It's night coloured scales were like that of Toothless', yet it's amber eyes pieced through to his very soul. This dragon looked like it was built to fight, and Hiccup would be lying if he denied that this new dragon sparked some terror in him.

Slowly the dragon came fully into the light, Kala easing it out. It's slitted eyes then glanced at Hiccup and Toothless, yet it was eerily silent and a wave of cold ran down Hiccup's spine. Kala looked over, and seemed to notice the younger man was rather uncomfortable. She gave him a reassuring smile.

The dragon crawled behind the woman, watching Hiccup and Toothless with an unblinking stare. The Night Fury looked at the other with curiosity, but didn't move, instead making a purring sound. Finally Hiccup spoke up. "What kind of dragon is that?" He said, a tone of amazement coming through.

Kala smiled at him, moving over to her dragon, jumping on at the base of the neck. "This is Midnight, he's called a Bright Shadow," she said from atop her dragon. Slowly it moved closer to Hiccup, almost apprehensively. Midnight lowered it's head closer to Hiccup, it's nostril's flaring as it sniffed the strangers. "He's a little shy and still groggy from sleeping all morning." Kala said with a more cheerful tone. "He won't bite if that's what your worried about."

Taking her statement as an invitation, Hiccup moved to the Bright Shadow's narrow intimidating head and reached a hand out to its head. However, this dragon only seemed confused by the gesture Hiccup was so accustomed to using. It didn't bother moving forward, instead only watching. Trying something different, Hiccup moved to the side, and gently placed his hand on the dragon's rough scales. It's piercing amber eye simply watched him, but it seemed to trust him. Even Toothless felt at ease, coming forward to greet the other, and friendly growls were exchanged. "Where did you find him? I've never seen a dragon like him before."

"I've had him since he hatched, from far away. I'm not exactly from this archipelago." She responded, her accent coming through.

Hiccup moved back, and climbed onto Toothless. "Yeah, I kind of figured." Hiccup replied with a half smile on his face. He wondered where exactly she was from, but decided against asking. Her answer was already rather vague and he didn't want to intrude on any personal information. Though he wanted to learn more about her strange new dragon, it could wait. For now rescuing Fishlegs took precedence.

"Alright, those Flyers were headed west. We'll fly out in that direction." Kala said simply. "Let's go."

Both black dragons extended their wings and took off, ascending into the pale blue sky. Hiccup could only hope Fishlegs would be okay.

<<<<<>>>>>

The sky remained clear as the rider's flew over the open ocean. They had been flying in silence for quite awhile. Kala found herself at ease in the silence that hung in the air. Hiccup was far more quiet than she had expected. Glancing to her side, the young man had an expression of both worry and determination. Her eyes moved down to examine his Night Fury. It flew with elegance, and she couldn't help but childishly enjoy being in the rare dragon's presence.

Kala ripped her gaze away from the infamous pair to face the horizon. While she was here to help Hiccup save his friend, she had her own selfish reason. Those Flyer's were more than likely heading to an important base. If they were capturing the riders, Krogan wouldn't take the risk of doing business in an unguarded area. Kala wanted to see one of these bases for herself, and see if there was anything she could do to try and cause damage to the Hunter and Flyer operation.

She wasn't worried about the amount of security that would be there. Throughout her life she'd gained plenty of experience staying in the shadows and out of any prison. In truth she was more worried about Hiccup and getting his friend out without getting caught. Kala was used to working alone and that was part of the reason she demanded she lead this mission.

Lost in her thoughts, she was caught by surprise when Hiccup's voice cut through the air. "Kala, right? I've been wondering, why did you agree to help me?" He finally asked. Turning to face him, Kala saw confusion etched on his features.

"I haven't been here very long, but I've heard of these Flyers enough to be curious about them. I wanted to see them up close for myself. And we can't let your friend fall into Krogan's hands." Kala said, accidentally oversharing just a tad. Quickly, she asked a question of her own. "What can you tell me of Krogan and these Flyers?"

If Hiccup wondered how she knew Krogan's name, he didn't voice it. Instead he simply answered her question. "Krogan is an evil and cruel man who leads the Flyers. Their ultimate goal is to capture the King of Dragons. Myself and the Dragon Riders have been doing everything we can to stop them. But they are ruthless and will do anything to get what they want." Hiccup said with a hint of anger. Kala nodded at his answer. Really it wasn't anything she didn't already know, but getting another's perspective is always helpful. Then he asked his own question, "So you said you weren't from the archipelago. Do you travel?" He seemed genuinely interested, and perhaps was trying to distract himself from the situation.

Kala was silent for a moment, she didn't really know this boy after all. In the end however, she decided that it wouldn't hurt if she told Hiccup things she had already talked about with Viggo. "The area where I'm from is called Nuile. It's just a part of a larger place. You have so many scattered islands here, but where I'm from it was just one giant landmass. It's far west across the open ocean. Any dragon would die of exhaustion before you were anywhere near it. I've been travelling the world for the last few years, and one of the delights is seeing how different dragons everywhere are."

Hiccup seemed to perk up once she mentioned dragons. Thinking it couldn't hurt, and possibly help the younger man trust her more, she dug into her satchel. She pulled out her journal and held it up. "This book is my personal findings. I've got a little bit on every dragon I've ever ran into." She said, guiding her dragon to fly a little closer to Toothless. Then, she gently tossed the book over the little distance. Hiccup caught it with ease.

His eye lit up with excitement as he gently flipped through the contents. Occasionally he stopped at a page, and slowly a smile formed on his face. "This is amazing." He finally said in an awed voice. "I could never even imagine dragons could look like this."

Kala couldn't help but chuckle lightheartedly at the other's enthusiasm. "You can hold onto that until we land if you like."

"I- Thank you." Hiccup said, obviously happy with the prospect of having a wide variety of knowledge in his hands. As much as Kala did it out of generosity, she knew the action would only make him trust her more. Trust was something they would need in the near future.

It was silent between the two for a few moments. His fingers flicked through the pages, soaking in all the information he could. Mouth hanging agape, he struggled to articulate exactly what he was thinking. After flipping through a few more pages, he managed to speak. "This is amazing. I never imagined there were so many kinds of dragons all over the world."

The archer faced him, a genuine smile across her face. But then she watched his face drop into one of sorrow, and then anger. Kala's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"What the Dragon Hunters wouldn't give to get their hands on this information," Hiccup said quietly, his eyes never leaving the pages as he spoke. After a moment, he looked over, the wind tossing his hair around. "You're well travelled, how far do the Dragon Hunter's do business?" His eyes clouded with worry for all the dragons of the world.

Kala had to admire the boy's love of dragons. She found intrigue and companionship in the creatures, but she was different from Hiccup in that she didn't share his devotion or need to protect all. Regardless, she wasn't about to sugarcoat reality. "If you're talking about the ones around here, they don't reach too far. A little farther north and east maybe, but really they aren't going to leave their bountiful grounds where they catch the dragons that make them money." She answered, seeing as she hadn't spotted this particular group wherever their chosen dragons of sale weren't native. "There is some groups in other places that also hunt for business and gold. Some cultures hunt dragons for sport and honour. Others respect dragons, or even worship them. Really the relationship between human and dragon varies greatly." She answered as best she could within her own experiences.

Hiccup seemed to be satisfied, and somewhat relieved. He was clearly expecting a far worse answer. For a moment he pondered her words before replying. "Well, that's better news than I was expecting," he said. After a moment of silence he spoke up again, his voice more upbeat. "You know not that long ago we used to fight dragons too. But after I met Toothless, I began to see who they really were, and the rest of my tribe as well. I don't know where I'd be without him," he said, reaching forward to pet the Night Fury on his neck, receiving a satisfied growl in return.

Kala gave the pair a silent smile. She didn't know where she'd be without her dragon either.

<<<<<>>>>>

The sky was painted orange as the sun was setting on the horizon. Looking through her spyglass, Kala could make out the outline of an island. Not far in front, sea stacks stood out of the ocean, waves crashing against the rock. "Follow me!" She called out to Hiccup before flying a little faster and descending onto one of the stack below. Midnight landed with grace onto the rock, quickly followed by Toothless. Both riders dismounted, giving the dragons time to rest.

Hiccup pulled out his own spyglass, observing the island in the distance. He was able to make out the strangely familiar base. Flyers on Singe Tails patrolled the skies, circling the island in a seemingly random fashion. Hunters seemed to be finishing repairs or carrying supplies to and from docked ships. A cavern entrance was tucked away into a mountain, scorch marks clearly present on it's rocky face. That's when it hit him, he had been here just over a fortnight ago. It would be a long time before Hiccup would be able to push the haunting memory of Viggo's sacrifice for him. 

Hiccup swallowed thickly, this was a dangerous place. He'd almost died here, Viggo had lost his life and now Fishlegs was in trouble. This base already had high surveillance, and Hiccup was sure they may have increased security since he was last here.

The Flyers were patrolling, they didn't seem to have spotted the two riders on the sea stack, just far enough out of sight. But the longer Hiccup watched the active base he couldn't help the growing pit of fear and despair in his stomach. How were they going to even get close, let alone get inside and rescue Fishlegs from whatever he was enduring.

Putting down his spyglass, Hiccup looked over to Kala who also was observing the island. The orange glow of the evening bounced off her features. Strangely, there was no worry present in her expression. At first she seemed expressionless, but her eyes were glowing with uninhibited excitement. She examined everything she could, the patterns of the Flyers as well as the terrain of the base.

Hiccup guessed she was formulating her plan for Fishlegs' rescue. Finally he couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "What are you thinking?" He asked.

She didn't respond immediately, thinking on what she would say as she so often did. "We'll wait here till dark. Then we'll head to the back of the island and leave the dragons in the forest. We'll then-"

"I can't leave Toothless." Hiccup interrupted her. "There's Hunters crawling all over this island, what if they find the dragons?" He couldn't help questioning her. As leader of the Dragon Riders, Hiccup was used to making the decisions. Now placed in the follower role, he worried his hasty decision to trust Kala was wrong.

Kala's eyes furrowed slightly, annoyed at being interrupted. "It's a new moon tonight, if we fly smart they won't even see us fly over. And it doesn't look like they do any work in the rocky forests further up and back, so if the dragons are quiet they won't be caught. If we get in trouble, it'll give them easier access to us as well. We'd be idiots to bring them into the base with us," She explained her reasoning. Her eyes were intense, she was clearly unhappy with his questioning of her methods.

Hiccup couldn't argue with her, he was just uncomfortable with leaving Toothless in such a dangerous place. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried," He said.

Kala's eyes softened slightly, and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Trust me. If I didn't think we could get your friend out, I wouldn't have agreed to come," she reassured him.

Hiccup could only give a nod to her certainty.

After a moment, Kala turned her attention back to the base and began explaining her plan once again. "The dragons will stay in the forest and we'll scale down the rocks. It may be tricky, but we'll get in and stay hidden if we move right. Then we find your friend and his dragon. If anything goes wrong we come out that front entrance so the dragons can cover us. We'll have to improvise a bit inside though," she said, her voice filled with confidence.

There wasn't a hint of worry about her, so Hiccup let himself feel some hope in getting Fishlegs and Meatlug back. But he didn't want to be here any longer than he had too. "I think I've been here before. I've got an idea of where Fishlegs may be held prisoner," he told her, trying not to think of what else had transpired here.

Kala looked at him for a moment, and gave a nod. "Good, we'll check there first," she replied. Hiccup was glad she didn't pry for more information.

Silence fell between them as the sun slowly dipped behind the ocean. Now they must wait for nightfall.

<<<<<>>>>>

The hours ticked by slowly as they waited for cover of night. Kala found it easy to patiently await the passage of time, whereas Hiccup was antsy, occasionally standing to pace or reading her journal to entertain his mind. Despite his clear anxiety, Kala felt at ease.

She was far more experienced in sneaking around than she cared to admit to anyone. There was always the rare occasion she had someone tag along on her normally solitary work. Regardless she had complete faith they would be successful.

Eventually the night sky was pitch black, save for the dim twinkling stars dotting the black expanse. Kala was grateful of the new moon, there was practically no light to illuminate the night. Soon enough she decided it was time to go, there was a small break in the patrolling Singetail's rotation, providing a better chance at not getting spotted.

The two riders mounted their dragons and ascended high, above the Flyer's lines of sight. Even if one looked in their direction, the dragons' black scales would be practically undetectable in the dark, so long as they were silent. Kala felt a rush of adrenaline along with the cold air. She watched the patrolling Flyer's below, feeling a sense of pleasure as the men remained unaware of the impeding intrusion.

Kala knew Hiccup must be nervous, but she had to commend him for following without missing a beat. All too soon the dragons were above where Kala wanted to land. The forest was denser than they appeared from afar, but the cliff faces were taller. It would still work. The two stopped midair, waiting for an opening to dive down into the forest.

For just a moment there was no eyes on forest and the two dragons descended quickly, wings tucked in. The air rushed by as the ground got closer and closer. At the last second they pulled up, wings outstretched to slow down enough to land safely. Little more than a thud could be heard as they both touched down back onto solid ground. There was practically no light filtering through the treetops, the stars barely providing any. Only the occasional flicker of firelight from the Hunter's reaching between the tree trunks indicated where to go. With little undergrowth, they would need to be careful.

However the forest was dead quiet, not a single Hunter prowling around. It was a little safe area. Flyers patrolled the skies above, yet the treetops hid the riders from sight. In silence they slinked towards the lights.

The trees thinned out and soon Kala could see the work yard below the cliffside. Kala took a moment to analyze the scene below. Boxes and cages littered the courtyard, a large bonfire lit the area in the centre with Hunters and Flyers drinking and eating. The cave entrance was large with a single guard not joining in on the festivities of the others.

With a plan in mind, Kala grabbed the quiver and bow from her dragon. Turning to Hiccup, she spoke in a low voice. "Grab what you need, we leave the dragons here."

Kala watched the happenings below as Hiccup grabbed his sword from Toothless. She couldn't see him, but she heard him say, "Don't worry bud, I'll be back soon." Toothless gave a quiet purr in response.

Leaving the dragons behind, the two walked downhill in silence. While they were still well out of view, Kala kept an eye on the patrolling Flyers, there was always the chance of being spotted.

Moving slowly and quietly, it took some time to get through the forest and scale the cliffsides while staying in the dark. Stealth required patience, and Kala knew better than to be hasty. But she could practically feel Hiccup's apprehension coming off him in waves. She couldn't help but worry that his anxiety may make him careless.

Still in the dark, Kala skirted close to the cliffside where the bonfire's light didn't reach. Few Hunters and Flyers wandered the lit portions of the work yard, some working but most enjoying a break. They were enjoying themselves too much - were possibly drunk - to even be aware of their surroundings. Timing their movements right the two swooped from shadow to shadow cast by the boxes and cages. In no time they were close to the mouth of the cave far from the bonfire without causing any alarm.

A single guard was present at the entrance. It would be an easy shot to kill, but the less bodies the better. Instead she would need to distract them. Kala picked up a small rock from the ground. Peaking out from behind the cage, Kala saw a few empty glass bottles on the other side. Winding her arm back and aiming, she threw the rock as hard and accurate as she could. Quick as a flash the rock flew, smashing the bottles with a loud crash.

The starling sound seemed to alarm the one guard. Ready to attack, the man began walking toward the source of the noise. Kala grabbed Hiccup's wrist and made a swift dash into the cave while the guard was distracted.

The caves were far more open than Kala would have liked, but thankfully they were alone. Once they were safely out of earshot of the entrance, Kala turned to Hiccup. "Alright, where to now?"

"It should be deeper in, on the right," he whispered back.

Quietly the two moved across the stone as fast as possible. Luckily the caves were devoid of guards. Kala assumed that since they had Flyers outside, nobody else needed to be awake this late at night. It seemed almost too easy, but it was better to take the luck in stride.

Hiccup was right. At least partially. Following his directions, they came to a darker tunnel with large wooden doors at the end before reaching where he believed Fishlegs could be. A loud low voice echoed from inside, "Tell me everything you know, and perhaps I won't kill you."

With her ear pressed to the door, Kala could barely make out a faint, "Never," followed by the sound of a hard slap, causing Hiccup to flinch. He opened his mouth to speak before Kala placed a finger over her lips, indicating to stay quiet. Holding her bow in one hand, she ever so slowly opened one of the doors. Without a sound she cracked it open until she could get through.

Few candles lit the room, giving off an intimidating aura. Fishlegs was chained to the stone wall while his 'interrogator' was sifting through many torture-style tools on a table, facing away from the door. Poor Fishlegs look like he in pain, his body bloodied and bruised, ready to pass out. There was no way to properly sneak him out.

As the man moved back to Fishlegs, Kala took an arrow from her quiver, placing it on the bow. She had the perfect shot to take out the torturer. Pulling back the bowstring, she was ready to fire.

Suddenly, Fishlegs looked up and something in his facial expression set the other man off. Turning around he saw the archer ready to kill. The element of surprise gone he immediately threw a knife at her crouched form.

The shot lost, Kala tried to dodge the incoming knife. But it was too close. While trying to move the knife embedded itself in the side of her thigh. Holding back a screech of pain, she fell back into a crouch. The man wasted no time trying to take advantage of the situation. Grabbing another weapon, he descended on Kala. Instinct took over, and Kala grabbed her bow pulled the arrow back and let go, hardly thinking of her actions. Before she realized it the arrow had pierced through the enemy's throat.

The weapon he was holding dropped with a loud clang and he clutched his throat. Blood quickly sprayed and flowed from the wound, some drops landing on Kala's face and hair as she was still below him. Crawling away from him she watched as fear filled his eyes and the idea of death was dawned upon him so suddenly. Soon he fell over, body convulsing as blood stained the rock below. Before long his body became lifeless; whether he died from suffication or blood loss Kala was unsure.

Kala remained sitting on the ground the pain in her thigh keeping her from moving for the moment. Hiccup had already helped release Fishlegs from his binds during the scuffle. They were just happy to each other alive. Any conversation they had Kala was not interested in. Carefully she stood and sat down on a nearby chair. The knife was still in her leg, but thankfully only half of it made it through the tough leather she wore. It would still be a major hindrance though.

The riders came over to her. "We need to find Meatlug and get out of here." Hiccup said, looking at her leg. He grabbed a nearby roll of cloth, handing it Kala for her wound. She gave him a nod of thanks.

It wasn't practical to run around with a knife in her thigh. Taking a deep breath Kala gripped the hilt of the knife before pulling it out in one clean draw. "Ahh!" She exclaimed in pain. But she couldn't wait. Quickly she wrapped the wound tight until she was sure she had enough cloth and pressure to stop the bleeding. Tying it on, she stopped to take some deep breaths, trying to dispel the pain she was in.

The riders watched her with concern, but waited patiently. Eventually Kala stood up, her face contorting at the agony of placing weight on her injured leg. She limped over to the dead body, retrieving the bloody arrow as to not waste it. 

"Alright lets find your dragon and go." She stated, trying not to let her voice wobble. Hiccup and Fishlegs just nodded. Placing her bow on her back once again, she moved to the door. "We'll need to be extra careful, now that two of us are injured." She added. There could be no room for mistakes.

With her injured leg Kala found it much harder to move silently, but thankfully the cave's tunnels were still devoid of guards. But the longer they were there the chances of getting caught increased.

Being so close to where dragons were held, Kala let Hiccup lead. Her leg hampered her movement so much it was better to let the other riders, who could still properly walk, go ahead. Though she was worried for Fishlegs' condition, it would have to wait until they were out of danger.

The two young men rounded a corner and Kala heard a soft but happy, "Meatlug!" The dragon squealed with joy at seeing its rider. Kala entered the cave and leaned on the cave wall, watching the tunnels as the two others released the dragon from her cage.

"We could fly out of here," Hiccup suggested.

Kala was about to reject the idea until they heard a hollering panicked voice echoed down the tunnels. "The prisoner has escaped!" they called.

A stab of cold hit Kala's chest. This was bad, if they didn't move fast they would quickly be pinned down. Nodding at Hiccup's idea, she ordered, "Get on the gronkle."

Fishlegs pulled himself up, pain evident on his face. Hiccup climbed on after and Kala in the back. Adrenaline coursed through their veins are Hunters appeared in the tunnel. Meatlug quickly blasted them before flying as fast as she could, Hiccup directly Fishlegs. They passed by Hunters who were haphazardly trying to mount a proper attack. Arrows from crossbows flew past them, sometimes just missing by a hair.

They came to the entrance where more Hunters were prepared to shoot. Meatlug let out one large blast, managing to dislodge their attempt. For a moment the relief of freedom filled them, until a Singetail's fireball hit the gronkle's side, knocking them all to the ground.

Kala's body hit the ground with a painful thud, rolling a bit. In agony she pushed herself up, seeing Hiccup and Fishlegs close together. Hunters and Flyers had them circled, and completely trapped.

A few moments of silence passed as everyone waited for the order to kill, but it never came. "Take them alive," one of the Flyers from above commanded. "Krogan will want to question them." The Hunters began moving in, crossbows aimed and prepared to shoot.

Then a sudden plasma blast came from the cliffs above, hitting the commanding Flyer and knocking him from the dragon. The singetail flew off as more blasts came, partnered with a loud roar.

A smile appeared on Hiccup's face. "Toothless!" The Night Fury glided down into the unfolding chaos, landing beside Hiccup. In turn Kala gave a high pitch whistle, calling her own dragon down. If the appearance of the Night Fury didn't frighten the enemy, Midnight surely would. This new dragon descended upon them with a fury, battle ready and terrifying in the turmoil. He few down with an ear piercing roar, landing with a heavy sound. Hunters and Flyers were shocked and moved away.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the riders each mounted their respective dragon. Meatlug and Toothless quickly taking flight. With her injured leg Kala was much slower, and the enemy was quick to recover. By the time she was in a riding position, Flyers were already chasing Fishlegs and Hiccup and the Hunters were getting ready to shoot.

The large amount of foes must have spooked the young dragon. Kala saw the orange glow appeared underneath Midnight's scales, and before she knew it her dragon let loose a torrent of flames, burning anything and everything they touched. Hunters caught in the flames cried out while others ran to save their own skin.

Midnight took a couple leaps forward through the burning debris before taking flight, leaving behind baffled and burning Hunters. The battle was not done yet. Fishlegs and Hiccup had already worked to either lose some of the Singetails and free others. Without a word they knew it was time to flee. All three riders flew off into the darkness, free from the grips of the enemy.

<<<<<>>>>>

The three flew close together, the stars their only light. Soon enough they were sure the Flyers were not following and could relax in their victory. Fishlegs and Hiccup were ahead with Kala bringing up the rear. Hiccup was fine, but even in the dark Kala could see that Fishlegs was in pain, trying to ignore it. Her own leg was still stinging horribly and needed treatment. For a moment Kala considered simply veering off and heading home, but she still wanted to treat Fishlegs, she wouldn't be restful until she at least checked him.

"Where to now?" She asked the riders ahead.

Hiccup responded, "Let's head to Dragon's Edge, it's not too far." Kala nodded. Her own place was rather far, the sooner they landed the better. "And Kala, thank you." Hiccup said before turning around.

Kala wasn't expecting the gratitude, but couldn't help but smile to herself.

<<<<<>>>>>

They arrived at Dragons Edge just before dawn. All were exhausted. As they landed on the platform, two girls and two guys ran up. Kala could only assume they were Hiccup's friends.

"Where have you been? We were worried sick!" The tall girl with shorter blonde hair said.

Hiccup hopped off Toothless and gave her a reassuring hug. "It's a long story, I'll tell you all the details later."

Kala slowly lowered herself onto the ground her leg still incredibly sore and stinging. She could practically feel the other riders' eyes boring into her. Hiccup seemed to notice and said, "This is Kala, if it wasn't for her Fishlegs and I would be captured by Krogan and Johann." Hiccup said.

Together the group walked up towards the clubhouse, each introducing themselves to Kala was well as pestering her with questions, only to be shut down by Hiccup. However Kala couldn't help but give a friendly smile. She told them everything she had told Hiccup of who she was and of her dragon. They seemed just as intrigued by her as Hiccup had when the first met, albeit less hostile.

Once in the clubhouse, they all shared a meal. The three had not realized just how hungry they were from the whole ordeal, and Kala was grateful for the tasty food. As they ate they explained what happened. Detailing the initial capture and mission, how they got fish legs to and eventually reached the edge.

Fishlegs also shared what had happened to him. They wanted to know our plans, and what else we had learned from the Dragon Eye. First they tried physically beating him. When that didn't work they were going to move onto actual torture tools, until Hiccup and Kala arrived.

The riders gave Fishlegs their compassion, and praise for not giving in. But then Fishlegs turned to Kala. "Are you okay? I know it's my fault that man injured you."

Kala was a little surprised he was acknowledging the mistake. But she just shook her head. "I'll be fine, don't worry. There's always the risk of getting hurt, I'm just glad you're safe." She responded. "How are you feeling?"

"Besides a few cuts, bruises and swelling I'll be fine." His answer was enough to convince Kala he didn't need any medical attention.

The sun was beginning to peak out, and the sky was beginning to turn pink. "I should be going, I've got things to do," Kala said. Placing her plate on the table, she stood. "It was nice to officially meet you all."

"Are you sure? You're welcome to stay here to rest if you'd like," Astrid offered. "It's the least we can do."

Kala was quick to reject the offer. "Thank you but I really must be going." She said.

Once again Kala whistled, and soon Midnight's head appeared in the doorway. She climbed on, pulling a face at the pain in her leg, she really needed to treat it.

"Thank you again! I don't what we would have done without you." Hiccup said before she could take off. The other riders gave their farewells as well, a little dejected she chose to leave so early.

She gave him a friendly smile. "I'll be around." She replied with a yawn. Midnight leaped off the balcony, quickly taking flight and heading home.

<<<<<>>>>>

On the flight home Kala couldn't stop yawning, and began nodding off, trying to stay awake. Being awake for over 24 hours was not a good idea. The sun had risen by the time she reached home. She wondered what Viggo would say about her absence.

By the time Midnight at landed on the secluded island Kala just wanted to sleep. Approaching her home, she saw a smouldering fire pit with Viggo and the Skrill beside it. Kala walked up to him, and saw that he was in fact asleep, leaning gently on the Skrill who was also dozing. He must have stayed up waiting for her.

Glad that everything seemed to be in order, Kala went inside and flopped onto her bed, falling fast asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

<<<<<>>>>>

At the hunters base, everyone was cleaning up and trying to absorb just what they had seen that night. Hunters were carrying the body of the torturer as well as the burned corpses away from the entrance.

Krogan on his titan singetail arrived at the base, furious with the state he saw it in. The man got off his dragon and strode to one of the lead Flyers. "What happened here?! Where are the prisoners?" He shouted. Everyone flinched at his voice, trying their best not to look.

The Flyer stumbles over his words. "They escaped sir," he barely managed to say.

Krogan's hands were clenched. "And pray tell exactly how they escaped?" He said, this time in a far lower, more intimidating voice.

The Flyer swallowed thickly. "We only captured the fat one to begin with. Hiccup escaped with aid of a cloaked woman. Those two broke into the base and killed the man holding the prisoner and they got out." He said with a shaking voice.

Krogan grasped the mans shirt, pulling them face to face. He couldn't believe his Flyers had failed so miserably. The Flyer continues talking. "You understand sir! The woman, she had a new dragon, something we've never seen! It was terrifying, and it's fire burned everything it touched to a crisp." He glanced over the the black bodies.

Krogan threw the Flyer to the ground, walking over to the pile of bodies. He'd seen plenty of burned bodies before, but few of this caliber. Memories in the back of his mind began sparking, and he felt his anger dissipate.

Moving over to the murdered torturer, he noticed the single lethal wound on his neck. More memories.

Turning back to the Flyer, he said simply, "Clean this place up."

Those memories were older, and he thought he would never need them again. Krogan alone walked towards the prison cells, where Ingerman was supposed to be kept. 

The stone was bloodstained. A large puddle that was still sticky along with splatters and drops everywhere. In the blood puddle, he saw a single hair.

Inspecting it, Krogan could see it's brilliant white colour, some parts tainted by red blood. That's when everything clicked. This hair could only belong to one specific person. That fire damage to could only belong to a certain destructive dragon. And he knew exactly who they were.

This business setback could turn into his own personal gain. A malicious smile pulled itself on his face. Dropping the hair back into the blood, Krogan left the prison to begin thinking on just where to start.


	7. Return and Learn

The midday sun had long since risen before Viggo began to stir from his sleep. He let himself awaken slowly, after all there was no rush. He had been up well into the night, tending the fire and bonding with the Skrill to try and kill time. The man wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but he assumed it was quite late considering the time of day.

Below his back, Viggo could feel the gentle breathing of the electric dragon he was laying on with its head barely a foot away. It was a shocking thing to wake up to, he couldn't remember falling asleep in such a position. Though he found far more comfort in it than he expected.

Eventually he sat up, stretching out his sore muscles without disturbing the dragon. He noticed the Skrill was already awake, yet it never bothered to move. It was like it was keeping guard. Viggo stood, wondering if Kala had returned while he foolishly slept out in the open. He didn't have to wonder long.

Viggo spotted Midnight sleeping in the shade provided by the large conifers. So Kala was back. First he felt a wave of relief rush over him. After she hadn't returned, he worried something happened, and it was good to know she returned. Then, anger began bubbling up inside him. He wasn't even entirely sure why and he couldn't shake off the anger at possibly of being cast aside again.

Looking around, he realized Kala's bags were still on Midnight. He couldn't see her, and first checked the home, hoping she wasn't somewhere else on the island. Pushing open the door, Viggo felt his rage diminish as soon as he saw Kala's sleeping form.

She looked completely at peace. There was no thoughts she was trying to hide behind a mask as he so often saw her. Just an expression of complete content. Curled on her side, she was in an absolute state of tranquility and still in her blacks leathers. Then Viggo noticed the bandage wrapped tightly around her thigh, discoloured with a deep red. It was then that he also noticed a streak of red-pink staining her snowy hair. Viggo could only assume it was blood.

Had she gotten into a fight? With who? She must have been so tired upon returning, it was no wonder she hadn't bothered taking her bags from Midnight, or even properly dress her own wound. Questions raced through Viggo's mind as he wondered just what happened to her. For a moment he contemplated waking her up. In the end he couldn't bring himself to do it, she needed the sleep.

Viggo left the little home as quietly as he could. Until she woke up, Viggo decided he would need to kill the time.

<<<<<>>>>>

Hiccup woke up to the daylight. Stretching and standing, he walked out of his hut feeling refreshed. After getting some much needed sleep he headed towards the clubhouse where he found the other riders. Fishlegs was noticeably missing, most likely just recovering.

"Did you guys see her dragon? It looked like it could eat your soul!" He heard Tuffnut say excitedly.

"Are you kidding me? Kala herself looked like she could eat your soul. But not in a scary way, more like a 'beautiful assassin' way." Ruffnut's voice replied.

So they were still talking about Kala. Hiccup had to admit the woman was still on his mind too. She just seemed to come out of nowhere with so much to offer. It was a strange coincidence. At least she seemed to be on their side.

Even when Hiccup entered the clubhouse, they didn't stop talking about their foreign ally, and he just didn't listen. As much as he also found her intriguing, he also couldn't stifle an unpleasant feeling in his gut. Astrid seemed to notice his more somber mood.

"Hey, lets go for a flight." She suggested simply with a comforting smile. Hiccup returned her expression.

"I'd like that."

Together the couple flew around the island, twisting and tumbling through the air. It felt so nice to be able to forget about everything that happened and just enjoy the moment with Astrid. Eventually they landed in a secluded area. Hiccup and Astrid were able to cuddle in peace as their dragons moved off to play.

Sometimes it was nice to enjoy each other's company without worrying about other things. But sometimes even their stolen moments were interrupted by reality.

"Something's been bugging you Hiccup, what is it?" Astrid asked with a concerned voice.

Hiccup sighed. He knew this was why she asked him to come out here. Somehow she always knew when something was wrong. "There's something about Kala that just sits wrong with me," he said. Standing up, Hiccup began to pace as he spoke. "I watched her kill a man without hesitation. And she got us into their base like she'd done it before. It's not right." He tried to explain.

Astrid had to admit that he was correct. She also remembered how the foreigner was rather quick to leave. "It does seem odd, but this is a time of war Hiccup. Perhaps she just has a different set of skills than us," she tried to comfort him.

Just then as the dragons were playing, something fell out of Toothless' saddle bag, catching the attention of the couple. Walking over, Hiccup picked up the item, and realized what it was. "This is Kala's journal, I must have forgotten to give it back to her."

Astrid stood and joined him. Hiccup handed her the journal. "Kala showed this to me. It's her own drawings of all the dragon's she's come across in her travels," he explained.

Just like him Astrid had an expression of amazement flipping through the pages. "It's incredible."

"It seemed pretty important to her, I should take it back."

"Is that really a smart idea? We barely know her, and you just said you weren't sure about her."

Hiccup hesitated for a moment. She was right, it may not be the best idea, but he didn't feel right keeping her prized possession. Besides, it wasn't like she was a true threat to them. "I know, but I also know she won't hurt us. If anything, I believe we can at least call her an ally." He replied, his mind made up.

"I'll come."

"No, I think it will be better if I go alone."

Astrid sighed. There was no changing his mind. She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Alright, I'll tell the others."

"Thank you Astrid," he replied. Before she left Hiccup pulled her back in for a real kiss.

The blonde gave him a smile. "Stay safe," she said before jumping onto Stormfly and taking off.

"Alright Toothless, lets go."

<<<<<>>>>>

Kala awoke to fading sunlight passing through the wooden door. Her leg quickly took her attention back to the pain she was in. The bandage was darkly red, but dry. Stretching as best as she could, the woman sat up. Looking around the room for her supplies, she reached for the small scissors and noticed that her bag was sitting on the floor, the one she had last night. She didn't remember bringing it in. Had Viggo brought it in?

She slid the scissors through the soiled bandage, cutting it off. The cool air felt nice against the exposed skin. She should have treated it earlier, but she had been so tired she barely remembered falling asleep in bed.

Feeling stiff in her leather and armour, Kala removed the tight fitting clothing and metal, replacing them with a simple tank top and a pair of shorts. It would be far easier to treat her wound now. However there wasn't nearly enough light in the small home. Slowly, Kala gathered the supplies she'd need in a basket and moved outside.

The sky was clouded over and the fresh air was cooling as night approached. Viggo sat at the fire pit, his back to her. He must have heard the door opening for not a moment after he turned, his eyes unreadable. "You're awake." He said in a deep voice.

Kala didn't reply, just gave a slight nod as if he was looking before limping towards the fire. With each step a fresh bolt of pain shot through her leg, causing her to pull a face. Viggo turned and watched as she hobbled over to the log beside the fire, trying to keep her composure. With the fading daylight and the fire, Kala could properly see the damage.

"Looks pretty bad," Viggo said. Kala gave a breath of agreement. The skin was inflamed and swelling, and the wound itself was starting to bleed again. "Where were you? How did you get injured?" He finally asked, both anger and worry laced in his tone.

Kala let out a heavy sigh. She knew he'd eventually ask where she'd disappeared off too. After hardly a moment to think it over, she decided to tell him everything. There was no point in hiding anything.

Starting with the markets, she told Viggo about the Singetail attack on Hiccup and Fishlegs, and her decision to help. As she spoke she worked on her stab wound, cleaning it out and adding a healing ointment. She continued speaking, telling of the mission into the base and how exactly the injury occurred. Soon enough her wound was stitched up and she finished off with her small detour to Dragon's edge before returning this morning. Viggo had quietly listened, cooking some fish.

A few moments of silence passed before Viggo spoke up. "Did you tell Hiccup I'm still alive?"

"No." Kala quickly answered. "It's not my place if you wish for them to think you're still dead."

"Thank you," Viggo replied. If it got out that he survived, he wasn't sure what either the Hunters or the Riders would do. "Your wound looks bad. What if you had gotten killed?" He finally asked in a mixed tone of anger and anxiety.

"I've gotten worse before, wounds haven't killed me yet," Kala first replied. "I wasn't worried about dying. If I was, I never would have went. No, I was concerned about those other two. I couldn't let them fall into Krogan's hands, and if they didn't have me they would have died." She then added, clear concern for the riders in her voice. "I couldn't let them go alone."

Silence once again fell between the two. Viggo looked over to Kala, her soft features accentuated by the firelight. She carried clear tension in her shoulders, and her eyes were clouded with unease. Without her leathers, Viggo could now see the various lines and scars that adorned her arms and legs. It seems that she had indeed been through worse.

"Hey Viggo, let me check your wounds one more time. I should make sure all the sutures are out." Kala said, standing up with a pair of tweezers and scissors. His wounds were practically healed, but the man took off his shirt without a fuss. Limping over, he felt her nimble fingers working against the new sensitive skin.

He couldn't see his back, but the scar that was left on his arm still looked rather nasty and he was sure his back was the same. Kala pulled the last of the stitches out of his skin. The wounds were healed, but the scars would never go away. Grabbing a a bottle of Frankincense oil, she applied a small amount to her hands and gently rubbed the substance onto each scar.

There was complete silence between them, neither knowing what to say. Kala sat back down, placing her supplies together. Finally Viggo decided to ask something that Kala has danced around, and desperately tried to keep a secret. But the time of secrets was over, and Viggo needed to truth.

"Kala," he started. She looked over, her eyes meeting his. Then, in a deep and serious, almost dark, tone, he asked, "What were you, before you came to the Archipelago? Truly?"

Viggo could have sworn he saw her eyebrows raise, just as it dawned on her that soon she'd have to tell him her past. They're eyes remained locked, each refusing to look away.

Kala opened her mouth to reply, when suddenly they heard an unnatural rustle from the bushes. Each looked over the noise, and the moment vanished as soon as it began.

Viggo reached for his sword, while Kala instinctively reached for her back, only to remember she had left her bow inside. The Skrill and Midnight flanked the two, prepared to blast whatever made that noise.

Kala hollered, "Who's there? Come out now!"

<<<<<>>>>>

It hasn't been too hard to find the island on which Kala resided. With how tired she'd been, Hiccup figured following a straight path in the direction by which she'd left was the best way to go. Able to hide in the clouds, Hiccup flew without incident.

Just as the started dipping in the horizon, Hiccup came to a small forested island. It must be Kala's home. Through his spyglass Hiccup was able to spot a little bit of smoke floating above the trees and a man's figure through the branches, but he couldn't make out who it was. Having other people there wasn't something Hiccup was expecting. He could also spot Kala's distinctive white hair and he knew he had the right island. He flew towards the forest, staying out of sight so as to not startle anyone should Kala not be there.

Toothless landed in the forest, far enough away they wouldn't have been seen. Since Hiccup was in no rush, he and Toothless strolled through the forest that felt more foreign than a new island should. The trees looked no different than any other island, and yet there was this sense that he shouldn't be here. Perhaps it was best to hurry.

The two walked closer and closer to the rising smoke until Hiccup could see the fire and those by it. Hiding behind a tree, Hiccup pulled out his spyglass, still feeling off about someone else being with Kala.

Lifting the spyglass to his eye, he felt his heart stop the moment he gazed through the instrument. Through the eyepiece, Hiccup saw Viggo. His chest tightened, and he almost dropped the spyglass. How was this possible? He died at the Hunters base, how could he have survived after getting shot and blown up?

Standing there practically frozen, he could do nothing but stare disbelievingly as Kala and Viggo spoke over the fire. Just barely he could hear a few words of their conversation. Hiccup could make out the other man asking if he knew he was alive. Kala said no, both unaware the subject of their exchange was not far away.

Getting low, Hiccup began to crawl forward so he could hear them better, signalling Toothless to stay put. Viggo removed his tunic, and Hiccup's eyes widened in shock at the damage those arrows had done. Each scar from deeply embedded arrowheads was like a ghastly white star, it was a miracle they had even healed.

He watched intently as Kala worked at the freshly scarred tissue. Hiccup could only rationalize that she must have somehow found Viggo that night, and healed him. First she's an expert at stealth with no hesitation for killing, and now she seems like the complete opposite, a healer. It didn't add up, just how much was she hiding?

It seemed as though Viggo knew little more than he did, when the man asked her about her past. Hiccup's heart thumped with vigor, was he going to find out what he wanted to know? In his excitement, Hiccup leaned forward. Before he realized it his leaned on a twig, and the added weight broke it, emitting a snap.

Instantly their attention turned toward the sound. Hiccup remained frozen in place as they moved, prepared to confront the perceived threat. In that moment, the rider didn't know what to do; either he reveal himself or he could try to run but there was little chance of actual escape.

Kala hollered for him to come out, but Hiccup felt like he couldn't move. When she received no response, the woman gave a flick of her wrist. The black dragon creeped forward, teeth bared and claws ready to slice. Instinctively Toothless leaped over his rider and through the bush, teeth bared prepared to defend Hiccup.

Midnight was the first to recoil at the Night Fury's sudden appearance. The Bright Shadow stood up, looking down at the familiar dragon inquisitively and sniffing. Over by the fire, Kala and Viggo had expressions of shock and confusion at Toothless' presence. But it didn't take them long to connect the dots.

"Hiccup?" Viggo sounded out. While it sounded like a question, it was more a statement. There was no one else who had a Night Fury.

With no reason to stay hidden any longer, Hiccup cautiously stood up, acutely aware of the others' gazes. Kala whistles once she sees him, calling Midnight back after being reassured that no threat was present.

Everyone was silent for a few creeping moments, all unsure of what exactly to say. Finally Hiccup asked exactly was the other two were waiting for.

"How are you alive? You were shot, you were blown up! How did you survive!?" The rider spoke directly to Viggo, his voice intertwined with both aggravation and incredulity.

Viggo glanced between the Skrill and Kala, who he attributed his life too. "It's a long story," the man replied simply.

HIccup's body visibly deflated as he let go of the tension in his muscles leftover from the shock of seeing his adversary turned ally alive.

"Why are you here Hiccup?" Kala asked, switching the subject. It was only then that Hiccup remembered why he was actually here. Hiccup quickly moved over to Toothless and grabbed the journal from one of the bags on his saddle.

Walking over to the woman, Hiccup quickly covered the small distance from the trees to the fire. "You left this. I just wanted to return it," Hiccup replied softly, extending his book out.

Kala's eyes widened at the sight of the book. "My journal! I completely forgot I gave it to you," she said, and gently took her precious possession back. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air once again. Kala set her journal down beside the rest of her medical supplies and grabbed an empty waterskin. "I'll leave you two alone," she said softly before walking in the direction of the stream without another word and with Midnight following her into the dark forest.

Viggo and Hiccup were alone, bodies stiff and unsure as the air hung still with tension. When Kala was out of sight, Viggo sighed and sat down. "Sit down Hiccup. We've no reason to fight."

Hiccup hesitated for but a moment before releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. The rider sat on one of the logs, Toothless following close by and lying his head of the log, watching.

Viggo didn't wait for Hiccup to ask his question again. "I didn't die in the blast because the Skrill saved my life. After that, I fell unconscious on a beach, and I thought I did die. Next thing I knew I woke up here, bandaged up. I would have died had Kala not found and healed me," Viggo explained swiftly.

"I know the feeling of owing her one." Hiccup replied. "I'm assuming Kala already told you what happened the other night?"

"You can't come back with a stab wound and not have an interesting tale to tell."

In truth there wasn't much to say between them. Hiccup was still unsure how to feel about finding his former adversary alive, but he did know there was a strange sense of relief in his gut. "So what are you going to do now?" He couldn't help asking.

"In all honestly I'm not sure. Perhaps I'll simply keep my word and disappear."

"Stay! You have inside knowledge of how the Hunters and Flyers operate. We could still use you in defeating them. And Kala, if she wishes." Hiccup said earnestly. "With you and Kala on our side we'd have an edge against them, maybe enough to beat them once and for all."

Viggo couldn't help but chuckle at Hiccup. "Optimistic aren't you?"

"Think about it! You know how Johann and Kogan think and Kala's skills are unmatched by almost anyone I've ever seen. You could-"

"Hiccup all I've done since I've been here is think. And everyday I spend thinking here I know less and less about whats happening over there. Besides, I don't exactly think you're allies would be keen to team up with me." Viggo finished, raising an eyebrow.

Hiccup groaned in response. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Looking out to the horizon, Hiccup realized how low the sun had sunk. "I should be getting back," he said quietly. Just then Kala reappeared from the forest, waterskin full.

"Thank you for bringing my journal Hiccup. We'll be here if you ever need anything," she said approaching the two.

Giving her an affirming nod, Hiccup climbed onto Toothless. "We'll send a Terror Mail if something ever comes up. Alright lets go bud," with that Toothless leaped into the air, heading home without another word.

Once the island was but a dot in the distance, Hiccup allowed himself to think over everything that just happened. He'd thought he could put Viggo in his past, but he was alive. An unfamiliar feeling was left in his stomach. It wasn't good, but not bad either. It was like the feeling he had when Dagur had first helped him when Toothless was shot with dragon root.

By the time he'd returned to Dragon's Edge, he found Astrid on patrol. Unlike the time with Dagur, Hiccup felt the need to tell someone about what had transpired. "Astrid we need to talk."

<<<<<>>>>>

With Hiccup far out to sea, Viggo turned to Kala. "Sow how much of that did you listen in on?"

Kala chuckled to herself. "You know too much about me already," she said good-naturedly before answering his question. "Most of it. It's not like the stream is far away. I honestly wasn't expecting him to show up." She looked down at her journal, picking it up and clutching the worn leather. "I can't believe I forgot it, I was so caught up in everything else that was happening." She uttered quietly.

"Why is that journal so important to you?" Viggo wondered.

"It was the last thing my brother gave to me before he was killed." She answered solemnly. Eyes clouded over in a long lost sorrow, Kala packed her medical supplies back up.

"What happened to him?" Viggo asked softly. Kala swallowed thickly, and didn't answer for a moment. "Was it Krogan?" He guessed.

In a husky voice, she whispered a barely audible, "Yeah." Turning to face the man, she gave him a half smile, "You really know too much."

Viggo wanted to ask her again about her past, but it no longer seemed like the time to ask. That was alright, there would be other opportunities. Kala stood up and carried her supplies back into her home, and when she returned she was carrying the Maces and Talons game board. "You up for a game? I've got a good feeling I'll finally beat you."

Viggo gave her a challenging smile. "Good luck with that."


	8. Shock or Swim

By noon, Kala had found what she looking for. The island she found herself on was rich in wild herbs of all kinds and a wide ranging river system. In particular she was looking for herbs to aid in healing and cleaning wounds.

Her leg still burned. She knew she should be resting with such an injury, but she internally argued that the herbs were required. It was interesting, her patience for others health was infinite yet she couldn't wait for herself. Despite her own stubbornness she wasn't so ignorant to assume she could stay out long.

The island she flew too contained a brilliant mountain with rivers beginning at the top and running down in several streams, waterfalling and pooling beautifully. It was quite a large island too, she'd have to be wary. Thankfully it didn't take long to find the necessary herb, thanks to the brilliant yellow flower petals that grew from it. The flower grew on a bright ledge near the stream's source.

Kala took her time gathering the herbs. She wanted to be thorough, and take as much as she could. It wasn't the strongest herb, but it was versatile. Satisfied with her haul, Kala tied the bag and climbed back onto Midnight, intending to head straight back to the island she currently called home.

Before the dragons feet could leave the ground, Kala heard an explosion occur, behind the mountain. After a few seconds, she could see a plume of smoke rising from behind the rock. For a brief moment she was ready to leave, it was the best option. But that one side of her, a mix of morbid curiosity and desire to help kept her still.

Urging Midnight into a trot, not unlike that of a horse, she slowly made her way to the other side of the island. Staying hidden beneath the canopy was best for now. She listened to the loudening sounds of roars, explosions and screams. Whatever was happening it couldn't be good, there was a good chance someone was hurt. Kala couldn't help but think of her mother. A healer who had no fear of entering a battlefield to help the wounded. It's what got her killed, but Kala would not meet the same fate.

As they rounded around the mountain, the sounds of fighting became louder and more prominent. Looking through the trees with her spyglass, Kala could make out the Flyers on Singetails, chasing two others the trees blocked from her view. Scoffing at the inconvenience, she pushed onward. Flyers were not a good sign.

Reaching the edge of the forest, she was finally able to see who the flyers were fighting. She didn't recognize the dragons other than by species, but she could see their riders; three of Hiccup's friends. Twins on a Zippleback, and the stocky fellow on the Nightmare. The flyers appeared to have the upper hand. FIreblasts were flung around in a clear attempt to kill the riders. Eventually, a well timed blast from one of the Singetails hit the Zippleback, causing one of the twins to fall. Kala couldn't tell which one, but they flailed futilely in the air. They fell into a raging river, disappearing beneath the white caps of water.

Kala couldn't stand by anymore. As the riders dove to try to save their friend, Midnight leaped with a ferocious roar. Shocked by the sudden advancing dragon, the Flyers diverted their paths away from the riders. Midnight flew with strength towards the Singetails, startling the Flyer's with their boldness. One recovered faster than the others, and the Flyer whipped his dragon forcing the Singetail to fire. Midnight reacted in kind, breathing his own strong blast. The blasts met, and neutralized each other leaving behind sparks and smoke.

Kala held tight to Midnight, her thigh burning from trying to stay balanced due to the movement. Pulling Midnight to a stop, the two hovered ominously, a fair distance from the Flyers. Interestingly, the Flyers hovered as well. They stared at her, and a part of Kala felt exposed. She hadn't been expecting combat, and she wasn't wearing her hooded cloak leaving her face visible.

They seemed to hang in the air for a few more moments. Then, they retreated without another attack. It was incredibly strange, but she didn't pursue them. The riders needed her help.

<<<<<>>>>>

"So why are we heading to this island again?" Tuffnut whined.

"Because Hiccup said there might be a lens here and if there is we need to get there before the Flyers." Snotlout replied, clearly annoyed. "Ugh, why did I have to get stuck with you two?"

"Because Hiccup trusts us fully and completely to complete this mission." Ruffnut replied with snark and a hint of sarcasm. Snotlout just scoffed.

"Well the sooner we get this done the sooner we can go home." Was all Snotlout said in response.

The group made it to the river-ridden island as the sun was high, finding the cave that potentially hid another lens they needed. Jumping off their dragons, the riders began exploring the empty cave. Empty boxes, debris and tattered papers littered the rock floor.

Snotlout wasn't sure how long they'd been searching, but he was sure they had went through every piece of debris and looked behind every rock. "This lead is a dead end. We should just head home," the stocky man said, a little dejected the mission had been a failure from the start.

The twins, of course, had no objections to leaving. They had already jumped back onto Barf & Belch running towards the exit. Snotlout mumbled to himself, not bothering to rush. That was until he heard a loud boom coming from the entrance and the tunnel shock with the force. Irritated, Snotlout made haste towards the sounds, thinking it was the twins antics again.

One he got there he was surprised to see the twins being chased by Singetails. "Ruff! Tuff! Hold on we're coming!" He called out to his friends. Hookfang swiftly took to the air, firing at the Flyers, even managing to hit a few.

The two dragons did well enough holding off the Flyers, but they were too skilled and soon enough the riders were the ones getting chased. No matter the twists, turns and shots they took, the riders couldn't shake off their foes.

"Snotlout! We need to get out of here or we're going to get killed!" Ruffnut called out. Snotlout heard her and couldn't agree more. A fight not ideal.

Before he could call back, a particular Singetail got a lucky blast, hitting Belch and knocking Tuffnut off his dragon. Snotlout could only watch as the Zippleback struggle to stabilize once again in the air and Tuffnut plummeted into the raging rapids. Both he and Ruffnut immediately dived for him. "Tuffnut!" They both called.

Ruffnut was already gone, trying her best to track her brother through the churning water. Snotlout was a little slower, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw what appeared to be a shadow materializing out of the trees. It charged towards the Singetails, spooking them. It was only then that he recognized that dragon as the one that belonged to Kala, the stranger whom he'd met just a couple days ago.

The blast from the black dragon was incredible. Now he fully believed Hiccup's own recollection of its strength. The Flyers also seemed to recognize the dragon, and chose to retreat. There wasn't time to talk. With the threat gone, he and Ruffnut could focus on helping Tuffnut. He urged Hookfang to fly faster.

However a rescue seemed impossible. The water churned like a beast, and even if Tuffnut could scream, the roar of water of deafening. The river also began channel into a narrow rocky passage the dragons could hardly fit in. Fear filled Snotlout as he could hardly keep track of his friend. Tuffnut's head would occasionally surface. He hardly had time to breath before being submerged again. The current was stronger then him, and threw his body around like a rag doll.

They tried their best to save Tuffnut but it was useless, the rapids had him. Snotlout looked up towards Ruffnut. He face was frantic, eyes darting everywhere trying to keep track of her brother.

After a couple minutes the river lead to a small waterfall. Ahead Snotlout saw Tuffnut's limp body tumble off the cliff. "Tuffnut!" Both he and Rufnut called, flying as fast as they could. Over the falls, Snotlout saw Tuffnut floating down below in the much calmer pool of water. Ruffnut dived, and the Zippleback plucked the rider from the icy water. Gently, they carried and laid him on the nearby beach. Ruffnut jumped off of Barf and ran to her twin.

Tuffnut lay still on the sand, not breathing. "Wake up Tuffnut! Come on!" Ruffnut began calm and quiet, but soon she was frantic as her brother didn't respond. Soon she began to shake her twin's shoulders, as if it would wake him. Snotlout didn't know what do with his friend just lying there. Just as he was about to pray to the gods, he heard a feminine call. "Ruffnut! Snotlout!" Turning around, he saw Kala atop her dragon, running towards them.

<<<<<>>>>>

Kala could only watch from afar as Tuffnut bobbed in the dangerous water. With the Singetails gone, she thought she'd be able to sneak away, but that fall could easily have caused serious injury. She followed from above, watching.

After Ruffnut pulled his body from the water, and they seemed rather distraught Kala finally decided to engage. She called out to them to get their attention as Midnight galloped towards them. Once she reached them she got off her dragon and limped over. "Kala!" Snotlout exclaimed. "Thanks for your help back there, but..." he could even finish his thought, glancing in the twins direction.

Kala had seen this before. Moving to the opposite side of Ruffnut beside Tuffnut, she spoke gently. "Please let me help." Ruffnut looked up at the white haired woman, worry and fear evident on her face.

"He won't wake up." Ruffnut managed to sputter.

Swiftness was needed. Kala gently took the girl's hands off her brothers shoulders. Then, she placed her own on his chest. Soon her mind practically went blank and her training kicked in. With strength and rhythm she began chest compressions. Snotlout and Ruffnut watched wordless, scared.

As they stared Kala's face remained calm as she continue to push his chest, pausing every now and again to check for a breath.

The air seemed to grow thick with apprehension. Kala then took a moment to pause, she pinched his nose closed and gave him two breathes. Snotlout and Ruffnut looked at her strangely, as if she'd hurt their friend. But they kept quiet and the woman continued to push on his chest.

Minutes ticked by feeling like hours. Tuffnut hadn't moved, and Ruffnut began to panic, scared her brother may not wake up. Kala was beginning to get frustrated with the lack of response. She'd heard of people who had been kept alive for over an hour with this technique, but the more time that passed decreased the chances of Tuffnut waking.

Ruffnut clutched her brother's hand. "C'mon bro. You gotta come back," was all she could whisper out.

It seemed as if hope had been lost. But Kala persisted, it was her duty to to give it her all until the very end.

Then what seemed a miracle occurred. Tuffnut's chest heaved, and a burst of water erupted from his mouth. Coughing violently, Kala quickly turned him over on his side, letting the man cough up the rest of the water in his lungs. Gently, she rubbed circles on his back until he could take deep breathes.

Smiles appeared on the rider's faces. Kala moved to kneel beside Tuffnut's head to allow Snotlout a seat beside his friend. Collapsing onto his back once more, Tuffnut opened his eyes to the sight of his relieved companions.

"I can't believe it! You're alive." Snotlout exclaimed.

"I thought I lost you! Never do that to me again!" Ruffnut said aggressively yet with love before embracing her twin.

Tuffnut was clearly dazed. "Did I miss something? What happened?" His eyes slowly looked around, taking in his surroundings. "I'm sore and cold."

Ruffnut let go before responding. "You fell in the river bro, and then went over the waterfall! We thought you were dead, you weren't breathing! But then, Kala, she brought you back." Her voice started strong, yet faded to a whisper by the end.

Kala gave a sheepish smile as the riders looked to her. But she wasn't sure if he was out of danger yet. With a light soft touch, her fingers felt around his head. She found a substantial goosebump, her touch causing Tuffnut to flinch slightly. "You were most likely knocked unconscious by a blow to the head not long after you entered the water. You almost drowned." She explained.

"Almost? He would be dead if you weren't here." Snotlout retorted. "What was that thing you did?"

"Nothing more than standard procedure for an unconscious person who isn't breathing." Kala replied modestly. Turning her attention to Tuffnut, she gazed down at his tired face. In a motherly tone, she asked him, "Do you feel any severe pain?"

"Uh, not really. Just generally sore all over." Tuffnut replied.

"Thats good. If you were knocked out in the water, your limp body wouldn't sustain as many injuries as a tense conscious one." She replied, explaining her thought process. This was something she also saw in drunk people, a relaxed body is hurt less. "Alright, can you wiggle your fingers and toes?"

With a little effort, Tuffnut followed her instructions finding he could do what she asked. He nodded. That was good, he wasn't paralyzed.

"Thats good. You may have a concussion, but otherwise you should be fine. Take the next few days to rest well. If you ever feel a headache coming or, nausea or dizziness make sure you sit and rest." It felt like so long since she worked as a proper healer. So long since she actually instructed people on what to do, excluding Viggo of course. In a way she missed it.

Carefully, Snotlout and Ruffnut helped Tuffnut to his feet, who was greeted with a happy lick from Belch. Off in the distance Kala heard the rumbling thunder. A storm was approaching.

"I should be going," she said, before walking towards Midnight.

"Wait!" Ruffnut and Snotlout called. Kala did, turning their way.

Snotlout spoke first. "If it wasn't for you we could all be dead right now. Thanks." He was sincere in his words, and gave a smile.

Ruffnut then approached Kala, and took the shorter woman hands in her own. Kala was a little surprised as she looked up at the flaxen-haired girl. "You saved my brother today. If you ever need us, the Dragon Riders are here for you." Behind her, Snotlout and Tuffnut nodded with her.

Kala gave her a smile, letting go of her hands. "Thank you." They stepped away from each other, each mounting their dragon. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again," Kala called out before taking to the air, heading towards the darkened sky.

The riders also began their flight home. Once they were soaring, Snotlout broke the silence. "It's a good thing Kala was there, but doesn't anyone find it convenient that she just happened to be where we were and knew what to do?"

Ruffnut answered him. "It might be convenient, but I'm not complaining."

"I'm just saying, we don't know her, where she's from or why she's here. I'm just a little skeptical," he remarked.

"You can be as skeptical as you want, she's helping us and that's what matters," Ruffnut remarked back.

There was silence for a few awkward seconds before Snotlout spoke back up. "So Tuffnut, how are you feeling?" He asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Well I got a killer headache, I'm sore, and my chest feels like its bruising? Is that weird?" He gestured to where Kala had been giving compressions. "Physically I'm fine. But..." he trailed off for a moment, the others patiently awaiting him. "I just remember the water being freezing, suffocating and strong. I couldn't fight it and it was scary to have no control. Then suddenly everything went black. The next thing I knew, I was coughing up water and staring at an angel." One of her hands was open in the air, as if staring at something divine.

"That was Kala, Tuffnut. Not some angel." Snotlout deadpanned.

"I know that!" Tuffnut exclaimed almost angry before losing it to happiness. "You have your angels Snotlout. But now I have mine." He finished, arms raised in inspiration.

Ruffnut just smiled, genuinely happy her brother was still here, breathing. "Alright, now lets get back to the edge before the storm catches us!"

<<<<<>>>>>

By the time the storm had reached the island, Viggo had found enough rope to tie around the Skrill as a handhold. The dragon was antsy, but still let Viggo tie the rope, and handle him. Now was the moment of truth, though. With the storm upon them Viggo had made his decision, he was going to ride the Skrill. It took awhile to completely gain the dragons trust, but Viggo knew he had it.

A flash of lighting and boom of thunder excited the Skrill, small bolts of electricity began to envelope its body, When Viggo touched the electric scales, he was surprised to find that he hardly felt more than a tingle.

The Skrill watched Viggo with icy eyes before finally looking forward, accepting the man. Not wasting a moment Viggo jumped on the dragons back. With hardly a moment to take hold of the rope, the Skrill took flight with a terrifying yet excited screech.

Viggo could hardly hear his own thoughts as the dragon climbed into the sky with speed and strength. The rushing of air on his skin was a reminder he was on one of, if not the, fastest dragons. Adrenaline raced through his blood as the dragon flew with grace. Only once he looked down at the small dot that was the island did he realize how high in the air he was, though he didn't get long to think on that.

With happy shrieks the Skrill suddenly nose dived, twisting and turning, flipping through the dark storm clouds as bolts of lighting streaked the sky. It was nothing short of exhilarating. Riding such a magnificent creature felt amazing.

Viggo was quick to learn he could guide the dragon, and it took his direction. In no time at all the two were flying in harmony among the lightning. A genuine smile appeared on his face while the wind continued to bite at his skin.

As the storm worsened, Viggo figured it was best to get back to the island so he could let the Skrill properly ride the bolts of lightning without him. Just as they were headed down there was an incredible flash of light followed by a sheering shock.

In the worsening storm, the lightning had become more frequent, and sporadic. As the Skrill had become more electrified, it attracted a strong bolt to hit them with a deafening crack. Luckily, it hit the dragon, yet Viggo was still forced to endure the burning electricity. It ran throughout his body, causing the man to lose conscious for just a moment.

Yet that moment was enough for him to lose his grip and fall from the Skrill. Within seconds he had regained consciousness, and found himself falling. Air rushed by as Viggo was pulled ever closer to the raging waves of the open ocean. If he did shout, nobody would hear him.

Losing sight of the dragon, Viggo plummeted down, and could only watch as the water grew closer. Before he hit the water, he braced himself and closed his eyes. But then suddenly his body grabbed and pulled sideways and up. The sudden change in speed and direction winded him.

Opening his eyes, Viggo found that black clawed fingers had hold of him. Claws that could tear through skin if given the chance. It had to be Midnight! Looking up, he saw Kala playfully smiling down at him. "If you wanted to go flying so bad all you had to do was ask!" She shouted with spirit.

Viggo shook his head with a smirk, just happy he wasn't currently soaked.

Soon enough the pair was back on the island just as the powerful winds were becoming unbearable. Viggo helped Kala gather her things from Midnight and the two took shelter in her home. Midnight lay just outside the door underneath a large redwood, unfortunately too large to fit inside.

Igniting the various candles for light, Kala began sorting through the herbs she'd collected throughout the day while Viggo sat on her chair. As he came down from the adrenaline high, his heart beat slowed and he could properly engage in the warm, calm atmosphere.

"These storms you vikings get are so sudden and violent. Definitely not like where I'm from. I've only ever seen storms like this in the tropics." She remarked.

"You learn the warning signs and get used to it. This one actually isn't so bad." Viggo replied.

With her herbs sorted, Kala sat on her bed, sighing in relief as the burning in her leg eased. "So what made you decide to finally give flying a try? In a storm no less." The woman asked.

Viggo gave his words a little thought. "Skrill's thrive in lightning storms like this. And I figured it was time. Now I understand the bond between man and dragon. It was quite the thrill. Besides, I don't want to be stuck on this island forever with you." He explained with a lighthearted jab.

In exaggerated offence, Kala brought a hand to her chest. "You wound me." She replied with a chuckle. "Finding you falling from the clouds wasn't exactly what I expected to see coming back. I'm just glad you weren't knocked out. I'd rather not have to resuscitate two people today."

"Two people?" Viggo caught the number, a little intrigued.

"Yeah, well I had another run in with those riders today. The twins and that Snotlout guy." She said. Kala then began to mix some healing herbs and unwrapped her wound. The flesh was inflamed, but void of infection. Hopefully it would be healed soon. As she recapped the days events, she redressed her wound. "The boy twin had practically drowned and was comatose after a Flyer attack. I managed to bring him back with a technique I actually learned from a fishing tribe in the tropics." Kala explained.

Viggo seemed to be in thought. "They're getting quite aggressive. It's only a matter of time before they do find the final lens."

The woman sighed. "If that happens, I may never get close enough to him," she muttered to herself. Then she thought about how she found Viggo after the violent lightning. "Forgive me for being ignorant, but how were you not electrified to death?"

Her question had Viggo thinking. Having wondered the same thing, he could only give his best explanation. "The Skrill must store the majority of its electricity inside its body, and once it reaches its internal limit the rest materializes outside on the scales. I must only have endured a fraction of the voltage."

Kala nodded, accepting his response. "Makes sense, though you'd need to dissect one to be sure and with the Skrill's rarity thats not the best idea. I'm sure if you build a tolerance you'll be able to ride it in storms like this without blacking out."

"Dissect?" Viggo asked, slightly shocked but not quite disgusted.

"Yeah. Its not exactly something I do, but the techniques were passed down in my clan. Its actually how our healers learned so much about the body and became so good."

Well that was quite the interesting fact about her past. Viggo doubted such a thing would ever happen here. "I guess that helps explain how you helped me."

Kala smiled at him. "I'm just glad you healed rather nicely. It could have been a lot worse." Outside the home, thunder rumbled loudly, and rain began to pelt the earth. "Now that you are healed, are you planning on leaving?"

Viggo rested his arm against the desk, leaning into his hand. The woman across from him looked with wonder, and perhaps a hint of despondency. "The idea was to fly off on the Skrill and just get as far as I could, start a new life. But there's an issue," he paused. "You saved me, and I owe you my life. I don't enjoy being indebted to others. Additionally, Krogan and Johann are still out there breathing. I want to stay here with you, and help you get your revenge while getting my own."

The woman listened intently to every word he said. In a way she was touched. She usually never expected anything for her medical services, some paid her but none few had ever offered to help her with things in her life. Eyes grateful, she smiled happily. "I'd like that." She responded sweetly.

A flash of lightning outside alongside thunder pulled the two from the moment. "This weather won't let up anytime soon. How about a game of Maces and Talons?" Viggo piped up with a challenging tone.

Kala shot a friendly competitive look back before pulling the game board out. "You're on. I think I've got your game style pinned now."

"Oh I'm sure you do."

<<<<<>>>>>

The storm was receding the Hunter base just as the scouts arrived. The leader walked towards Krogan to give his report. The intimidating man was going over plans for his hatchery. He noticed the lead scout arrive. "Give your report," he ordered.

"Sir, there was no lens on the island we scouted. We ran into some of the riders and planned to kill them. However, that black dragon appeared from nowhere with a white-haired woman as a rider. We retreated, not wanting to risk damage especially after what occurred a couple days ago." The scout spoke confidently, but he was nervous and afraid at what Krogan would do to him for their failure.

But the man just smiled. "Good. Get rest, you will scout another island tomorrow. You are dismissed." The order was quick but the scout bowed and obeyed, leaving quickly.

Krogan could almost laugh he was so giddy. This confirmed it, It must by dear Kala. So she finally appeared. He thought he finally lost track of her after she vanished from the city of Celeda. She must have tracked him, it wasn't like he kept his business dealings a complete secret. All he needed to do was draw her out, and capture her.

It wasn't for any business gain, but personal. She was no longer the meek teenager she was all that time ago, now she was a woman. The one that escaped him.

A malicious grin grew on his face. He would catch her and give a choice; join him, or die. And if he gained a destructive dragon and information on the rider in the process, all the better.


	9. Saddle Up and Out

Kala had not expected to be back at the markets not long incident with Hiccup and Fishlegs.

After only a few days of helping Viggo train to ride the Skrill, they realized he would need a saddle to properly deal with the strain of riding, as well as the lightning. The sparks weren't always kind to Viggo's legs and hands after all. The only issue was the fact that Viggo was still considered dead, and both agreed it was best to keep it that way. So, Kala agreed to go alone, and be fast.

In truth she was unnerved. Two run-ins with the Flyers within the week did that to a person. Hiding underneath the nose's of people who wanted her wasn't uncommon for her, but the archipelago was more open, and she stuck out. Her injury wasn't helping either, and a white haired girl with a limp would be easy to spot if one was looking.

She'd taken precautions coming to the markets of course. She'd rode in on the far side of the island, leaving Midnight far enough away no one could have seen her coming. It was quite the distance she had to walk however, and it was unkind to her injury. She walked slow to hide her limp.

Additionally, she chose to wore different clothing. Brown leather pants, boots and a simple tunic. With Viggo's help she also managed to cram her hair into a vikings helmet. She looked more like a local, hopefully it would keep any attention off her. Of course she did carry her bow, it was just too dangerous to not have it

The sun was high by the time she sauntered into the Northern Markets. The place was relatively busy, she should blend in no problem. Though she did recognize the uniforms of some Hunters. The sooner she got out of here the better.

After wandering for what felt like ages, she noticed a group of Flyers attending to a certain stall. The vendor was a stocky fellow, selling saddles. They traded gold for a several large boxes of saddles. Kala hung back, watching the exchange. With this many saddles, they could increasing their numbers quickly. Perhaps she should tell Hiccup.

Once the group of Flyers was far out of sight Kala approached the vendor. She'd have to be careful about what she said. The man hardly looked at her when she approached. There was still a couple of saddles left thankfully. "How much for a saddle?"

"Not for sale." The man replied gruffly.

Kala pursed her lips. She wouldn't put it past Krogan to bribe merchants into only selling to them. "Name you're price." She tried again, pushing.

The man looked her up and down before chuckling to himself. "You couldn't pay the price even if these were for sale."

Impatient and wanting to leave, Kala was not in the mood to haggle. She pulled a pouch from her belt and let it fall to the table. The loud sound of gold coin clanging together seemed to get the merchants attention. There was easily more gold in the pouch than any single saddle was worth. "I just need one." She reiterated.

Intrigued he stepped forward, but Kala snatched the pouch back from table before he could take it. "A saddle for the pouch, and I'll be on my way," the woman offered.

Kala could practically see the internal battle the merchant was having. Soon enough, greed won out. He pulled a saddle from the wall, handing it out to Kala with his other hand outstretched. Swiftly Kala took the saddle and handed him the pouch. "Pleasure doing business," He told her, before disappearing into his tent.

Relieved to have what she came for, Kala moved along the outskirts of the markets, hoping to not draw any attention to herself. It worked, at least for her.

An ever familiar sounding explosion went off in the markets. Startled, Kala looked to the source of the sound. Flyers in the air unsurprisingly, but they were attacking a more unfamiliar group. Individual's dressed in sleek black leather fiercely led a counter attack lead by a large man, with an auburn braid. Kala didn't know who they were and didn't want to stay to find out. This could be her best chance to get away unseen.

She ran, more like hobbled, as fast as she could towards the forest that Midnight hid in. Hiding in the chaos was working. She was so close, just a little further.

Yet luck was not on her side. A singetail's blast must have missed its target, and ended up destroying a nearby stall, the blast's shockwaves sent the woman into a wall. Kala hit the surface with enough force to knock the helmet from her head, causing her white hair to fall out. She fell to the ground, ears ringing and white spots entering her vision. She pushed herself up, shaking her head.

By the time the ringing wears off, she can just make out of calls of the some Hunters. "She's here!" She faintly heard. Managing to open her eyes, she could see a group of men charging towards her.

Panicked, Kala frantically pulled herself up and ran. It was futile though, the pain in her leg was becoming excruciating and she was still incredibly disoriented from the blast. After sprinting for a short while the pain forced her to stop, lest she make the wound worse. Her vision was wobbly, and soon she needed to use the walls of buildings to keep upright.

Turning a corner, she nearly ran into more Hunters, who were quick to spot her. When she turned the other way, more appeared. In her disoriented state they had managed to surround her. Backed up against a wall, she dropped the saddle and pulled out her bow. She tried to draw an arrow, but in her state she could hardly do so, let alone properly aim.

One of the Hunter's laughed menacingly. "You've got nowhere to go little lady. Now come quietly." A few of the men pulled out thick rope, clearly meant for her. Even if she could aim her bow, she stood no chance.

"Never," she spat back at them. She tried to shoot a couple of arrows, but missed each time. The hunters began closing in, arrows and knives at the ready. With no way to escape herself, she raised her fingers to her mouth, ready to whistle for Midnight in a last ditch attempt to leave.

Just before she could blow, a loud war cry came from around the building. Fighters dressed in the black leather were charging the hunters, lead by a tall red headed man with a braid. The hunters may have outnumbered them, but these new warriors were far more skilled. In little time they managed to fight off the hunters.

The red headed man approached her. "Are you alright ma'am?" He asked. Kala nodded breathlessly. "My name is Throk. We are the Defenders of the Wing."

"I'm Kala, thank you for the help." She replied gratefully.

"Ah yes, the Dragon Riders and Hiccup Haddock have spoken of you." Throk said knowingly. It was then that he noticed her wound. "You appear to be hurt Miss Kala, you should leave before those Hunters come back."

Before Kala could agree with him, one of their warriors approached them. "Sir, the Hunter's are retreating to the beach but Flyers have come too. Dagur, Mala and Heather are fending them off but they won't last long, we need to retreat."

"Go and help them. I'll be alright." Kala told Throk, eager to leave.

Throk nodded at her. "Safe travels Miss Kala." The warrior wasted no time then ordering the rest of the Defenders to the beach. Soon, the area was clear. Picking up the saddle Kala took off into the forest.

With a loud whistle she called Midnight to her. Not long after Midnight appeared from behind the pine trees. As quick as she could Kala secured the saddle she had come for and climbed onto her dragon.

The black dragon leaped into the air, on route towards home and away from the Hunters. But then a loud explosion caught Kala's attention, and she looked back.

While she didn't recognize the riders or dragons, it was easy to distinguish the Defenders from the Flyers. And the Defenders were outnumbered.

It would be easy to just run. Then, the more she dwelled on it, the more she felt she had to help. She couldn't let what had almost happened to her happen to them. Before she could make the more rationale decision of leaving, she turned Midnight around, and together they charged towards the Flyers. The wind whipped her hair back as the dragon let out a terrifying screech.

First they flew towards the Razorwhip. The Flyers were quick to notice her. Two pulled away from the metal dragon and flew towards her. The Flyers whipped their Singetails harshly, causing the dragons to fire at Kala. Midnight deftly dodged the fireballs, flying full speed at one of them. Kala braced herself as Midnight slammed into one of the Singetails, knocking the Flyer from the dragons back.

As the Flyer fell and the dragon flew off, Kala turned her attention to the other one. As it approached Kala reached out and tapped the base of Midnight's neck. As she did a brilliant yellow-orange light branched out along the black dragon's body like veins. Midnight began to open his mouth, the beginnings of the destructive fire evident at the back of his throat. The Flyer seemed to recognize the danger, and tried to his dragon too late.

Midnight flew fast as a stream of fire flared out. He hit his enemy dead on, the Flyer. The dragon roared at the heat, but the Flyer was far worse off. His screams of agony would be hard to miss as his clothes were on fire and skin burned. Simply wanting to escape the fire, he jumped from the Singetail, plunging with a sizzle into the cool ocean.

The girl on the Razorwhip had fought off the last Flyer that was after her. She approached Kala. "Thanks for your help," she said. Then they heard a pained screech from a dragon. "We need to help my brother!" The raven-haired girl yelled before flying towards the Triple Stryke.

Kala looked at the scorpion like dragon and realized there was two people riding the dragon, not just one. A red haired man and a blonde haired woman. Flyers were aggressively blasting them, and the dragon couldn't dodge all of them. One hit its wings, knocking the beast off balance. As the dragon tired to balance itself out, the red haired man fell from the dragon trying to keep the woman on the dragons back. He fell into the trees, as a few flyers went after him, the others keeping tail with the Triple Stryke.

Midnight followed the Razorwhip. They would need to take care of the Flyers if they stood any chance of winning. As Midnight flew, she pulled the bow from her back and readied an arrow. Aiming at the Flyers after the blonde woman, hit one in the shoulder. As the Flyer struggled the Singetail he rode managed to fling him off its back and it was free. The raven haired girl was quite capable of taking care of some herself. Even the Triple Stryke, now that it wasn't severely outnumbered, was able to hold his own.

Together they managed to run off most of the Flyers. Just as Kala pulled back another arrow with perfect aim, another arrow from behind whipped by, deeply cutting the top of her arm. She dropped the arrow and her bow in pain, the sting shooting down her arm. Then Midnight roared in pain, and began to struggle to fly. Looking down his flank, 3 dragon root tipped arrows had managed to pierce between his thick scales on his shoulder. Hunters were down on the beach with bows and arrows.

The dragon fell from the sky, struggling to fly as he continued to screech painfully. There was nothing Kala could do but hold on and brace for a crash landing.

Midnight managed to land on his feet on the beach. With the stabilization, Kala reached down and managed to pull the arrows out. Midnight roared again, and began bucking wildly like an unbroken stallion. With only one good arm she was quickly thrown from her dragons back onto the sand. Her dragon thrashed madly at the air as if fighting invisible enemies. She had never seen him like this before. Beneath the black scales he began to glow a deep crimson red and his pupils were barely slits.

With her dragon acting so strangely and the loss of her bow she was practically defenceless. Down the beach, Kala saw the Razorwhip and Triple Stryke attack the Flyers. Throk, leading his warriors, appeared from the markets, chasing any remaining Hunters on the beach away. The red haired man recognized her white hair and quickly ran to her aid.

"Miss Kala! Are you alright?" He called out as he approached.

Despite the heavy bleeding from her arm, the adrenaline rushing through her veins dulled that pain. "I'll be fine. I'm worried for my dragon. He was hit with those dragon root arrows." She explained. The two looked at the black creature, who was still incredibly agitated, swiping at his own face.

As the warriors rushed towards the Hunters, the enemy ran away, trying to get back into their rowboats. Midnight, despite his state managed to see the running men. He stopped, staring, before crouching like a cat stalking a mouse. As they watched the Razorwhip and Triple Stryke landed beside Throk. The blonde woman spoke first. "The Flyers and Hunters are retreating, but Dagur fell somewhere in the forest we need to find him." She spoke regally.

"My Queen, we'll send a search party immediately."

Kala would be lying if she said she was truly paying attention to them. She was too perplexed by her dragons strange behaviour. Viggo had told her dragon root was supposed to interfere with a dragons nervous system primarily, making even moving a difficult task. Midnight on the other hand seemed unaffected in terms of bodily functions, almost seeming to be enhance. The agitation, and then sudden change was weird. Looking out at the Hunters the dragon stared at, she noticed they were running.

"Miss Kala?" Throk prompted, getting her attention.

"My apologies. I've just never seen him act like this." She replied.

Turning back to the dragon, she saw him prowl forward, ever so carefully placing his feet down. That was was she figured out what he was doing. "Throk. Call you're men off! They need to remain still." Kala said with urgency. Throk was confused, but saw no reason to continue pursuing the Hunters and did as she said.

Then, Midnight sprung into action, sprinting forward, going for the running Hunters. His predatory instincts to chase the fleeing intensified by the dragon root.

The men could only scream in terror, and Kala could only watch in horror, as the beast descended on them. He slammed a few with his claws, one sustaining a wound he would not survive. Midnight picked one up with his mouth, throwing the man about before letting go and picking up a new one. It was pure carnage.

A worried voice sounded behind them. "Is your dragon always like this?" It was Mala.

Kala gave a look of near disbelief. "No, not at all. He's protective yes, but not like this. These are pure predatory instincts. I fear its the dragon root making him act so irrationally."

The few hunters that managed to avoid the chaos rowed their boats with fear, just wanting to get away. The sand was littered with blood and a few bodies. With no more running people to chase, Midnight went back to his agitated bucking, pacing and scratching.

"We need to stay away from him until it wears off." Kala finished, worried for her dragon.

Mala was next to speak."We'll stay away from him then. Now we need to find-" She was cut off by another explosion from the forest behind them. The turned, and saw the red-haired viking emerge from the trees, clearly wounded. But Flyer's weren't too far behind. "Dagur!" Mama called out worriedly. The Triple Stryke saw his rider and flew towards him, protecting him.

The Razorship also flew towards them, Kala and Throk hanging back. The enemies that had followed quickly realized their forces were retreating, and they were badly outnumbered. The Flyers flew up and away.

Except one recognized Kala down on the beach. In one last ditch effort for glory, the Flyer dived towards the woman. With nothing to defend herself with, Throk took it upon himself to step in front of her, ready to fight. Undeterred the Flyer continued his dive.

Behind them Kala heard Midnight's familiar protective growl and he leaped into the air. Even in his frenzied state he was still able to recognize that his rider was in danger. The black dragon leaped into the air, and slammed directly into the attacking Singetail. The green dragon screeched in pain, and it was only once they hit the ground Kala realized what happened. Midnights terrifying jaws were clenched around the Singetail's neck. Said dragon struggled, but that only caused Midnight's dagger-like teeth to sink ever deeper. Then, with a sickening crunch, Midnight bit down hard, breaking its neck. With one last screech, the dragon lay limp in his jaws. Everything went deafeningly quiet.

Kala couldn't help the horrified look that spread across her face, an expression found on everyone watching. The Flyer who had been riding the now dead Singetail made a run for it into the forest. Midnight, still in his crazed state, dropped the dragon he had help and ran after him. Together they disappeared into the shadows of the forest, soon nothing more than distant roars and wails.

After a minute that felt like an eternity, Kala finally composed herself. She and Throk ran towards Dagur, Mala and Heather. Dagur lay in pain on the ground, Kala could see the various wounds he now adorned. Throk was the first to find his voice. "My Queen, are you alright?"

"Yes. Despite that display. But Dagur is hurt," she answered. The man had his head resting on her lap. He had a deep laceration on his thigh, one that was bleeding heavily. And another wound on his stomach, a gory slash across the abdomen.

He could barely keep his eye open. "I'll be... ok." He said in a strained voice. Even his breathing was becoming laboured.

Then Mala looked to Kala. "I know you don't know us and we don't know you, but Hiccup Haddock has spoken highly of you. Even after your dragon slayed the other, I'm inclined to ask for you help." Dagur groaned in her lap. "Please, he needs medical help."

Her face was strong, yet in her eyes danced fear for the man.

Kala wanted to find her dragon, make sure he was alright. But this man need her first. The healer altruist in her won out once again. Without a word she kneeled beside him to inspect the wounds. Undoing the mans belt, she quickly tied it around the top of his wounded thigh. Even then the blood continued to flow out of the wound.

"It looks like they sliced through a major artery in the leg." She explained to everyone around her. "I need cloth, and lots of it. And someone needs to get bandages." She ordered. Swift as a speed stinger some the Defenders took whatever cloth they could from their own bodies. Kala bundled the cloth and pressed it to the thigh wound. Looking to the raven haired woman, she said, "Come here and keep pressure on it. Push as hard as you can and do not let up."

The girl nodded, replacing Kala's hand with her own. Blood quickly began to seep into the cloth. By then some other men came back carrying bandages and water

Kala gently peeled back the ruined tunic on Dagur's stomach. It was thankfully not as bad as she had feared, it was simply a long slice along the abdomen that only cut into fat and muscle. They hadn't cut nearly deep enough to hit any organs. The bleeding was already starting to slow.

With cloth she soaked up as much blood as she could, then cleaning with a wet cloth. With the help of some men holding Dagur's body up slightly, she managed to bandage up the slice. It was crude, but it would have to do until she had her proper medical supplies that were in a bag attached to Midnight.

Moving back to his thigh, she signalled for Heather to stop. Worry whirled in her eyes. Blood had completely seeped through the cloth, causing her hands to be wet with the substance. When Kala pulled the soiled cloth back blood was still oozing from the gory wound. This one was far deeper than the stomach wound.

As tight as she could, Kala wrapped the remaining bandages around his thigh. By this point, Dagur was practically unconscious. Looking to Mala, Kala said, "I need to stitch his wounds but I don't have any of my supplies and we need to get him somewhere safe."

Despite the state of her beloved, the queen kept her composure. "We have many medicines back at the Defenders of the Wing Island. But these wounds are so deep..." Her voice faded off.

"The bleeding has nearly stopped. So long as I can clean and stitch the wounds, he has a good chance." Kala said reassuringly, her voice far more confident than how she truly felt. "Fly him out on a stretcher. It will keep him prone and not disturb the wounds. I need to find my dragon, and then I'll follow you."

Mala gave her a respectful nod. She ordered her subjects to fetch a flat piece of wood. Working together everyone managed to secure Dagur to the wood, as well as provide ropes for the Razorwhip and Triple Stryke to carry.

Heather and Mala mounted the dragons. "Throk I want you to go with her. Make haste." She ordered. Swiftly yet gently the women flew up, keeping the man prone and flying towards their home.

The other Defenders began to head towards their boats while Throk turned to Kala. "I hope your healing skills are as good as the Dragon Riders say. Now lets find your dragon."

After that the two silently walked into the forest. Kala would have ran if her leg permitted it. They followed the path of broken foliage, most likely destroyed by the Bright Shadow as he ran after his prey. No words passed between the strangers, brought together only be chaos and through mutual allies.

It was Throk who eventually broke the silence. "Ruffnut says you brought her brother back from the dead. Is that true?" He asked curiously.

Kala looked up at the tall man. "Not necessarily. He wasn't dead, just unconscious. But his airways were filled with water and he wasn't breathing. I just did what I had to to reverse that." She explained.

"What about Dagur? Those are wounds not many can come back from." Throk was an experienced warrior, Kala wasn't surprised by his statement.

Really even she wasn't sure about Dagur's state. Losing so much blood was the first hurtle. Then hopefully keep infection away. With a little luck, he had a chance. "I need my supplies so I can properly treat him." Was all the woman said in return.

Up ahead, Kala could hear low despondent growls. Peering through the trees, they could see black scales. The trees gave way to a small clearing, and Midnight lay in grass. Not far to the side was the Flyer, dead. His body was a gruesome display of punctures, tears, and a nearly severed arm. He never stood a chance.

Midnight's eyes had returned to the normal large diamond pupils, not the slits they had been before. Claw marks were cut into his face, self inflicted. The dragon caught their scent, and looked over. Crouching low, he crawled toward the girl. This time he was not a predator stalking his prey, but instead like a dog kicked down expecting punishment.

Kala moved to him, gently holding his large face her arms. "Shhhh, its alright. You didn't know what you were doing." She spoke softly, as if the animal could truly understand her words. In a soothing manner she dragged her hands along his jaw, down his neck to the shoulder.

The whole time Throk had hung back. Kala gestured for him to come. The man moved slowly. Midnight reared his head back, not in aggression but curiosity as the newcomer.

"How do you know he won't attack again?" He finally asked.

Kala jumped onto Midnights back. "It was the dragon root. I don't know why it affected him like it did, but thats not him. It was like it amplified aggression, and predatory instincts." It was her only explanation. Throk appeared unsatisfied, but still came forward, and jumped onto the dragons back behind the woman.

As soon as he was on Kala urged Midnight to leap into the sky. The sudden take off caused him to wrap around the only stable thing; Kala. He was not used to flying on dragons at all. The air had a calming chill after the fight. "Alright which way do we go?"

Throk point her in the correct direction. "We should hurry."

<<<<<>>>>>

Midnight flew as fast as he could, reaching the island not long after Heather and Mala. They had taken Dagur to their healing centre. Kala grabbed her supplies she always had. "Lie down, and stay put." She commanded Midnight. Obediently, he did just that. Kala followed Throk to where they held Dagur. The berserker lay still on a bed, the bandages had become rather red. Mala and Heather stood over him, noticing the two.

"Is there anything we can do?" Heather asked.

Kala pulled a chair up to Dagur's side, readying her tools. "I need boiled water, bandages, and clean cloth." The raven haired girl nodded before both she and Throk went to gather the items. Kala placed her limited supplies on the bedtable. First she pulled the tiny needle and stitches out, and then the various herbs.

In a small bowl, she placed a mixture of herbs, oils and water that would help keep infection at bay. She handed it to Mala along with a mixer. "Here. Mix these until its a thick paste."

Mala took hold of the bowl, and mixed as instructed. Kala then began removing the bandages from his thigh and stomach. As she worked, she heard Mala behind her. "I'm sorry we could not have met under better circumstances. Hiccup Haddock spoke highly of you." She said softly.

"Yeah, the Hunters have become bolder."

Throk and Heather returned, carrying what she needed. "Here, if theres anything else you need, just ask." Heather said.

"My Queen, I'm sorry to interrupt but the people are looking for you. They want to know what happened." Throk added.

Mala looked at Dagur concerned. Kala said, "You should go. I have things covered here. If anything changes I'll call for you. Your people need you right now."

Mala was quiet for a moment before nodding. Handing the ointment to Kala, she stood, strong and composed as ever, and strode out of the building. Throk and Heather followed, leaving Kala alone with the unconscious Dagur.

<<<<<>>>>>

The sun had set by the time Mala returned to the healing building. Kala was ever so carefully tending to her patient. She was just finishing the last of the stitches on his stomach.

Despite her brief knowledge, Mala trusted the white haired woman. Hiccup had true allies, and she trusted him. Even so, seeing her beloved so helpless hurt her. A part of her blamed herself, for not catching him before he fell and was attacked all alone.

Kala finally noticed her standing at the door. "How is everyone?" She asked in her strange accent.

Mala sighed. "Calm. Informed. Preparing for the night."

Kala turned back to her work, bandaging him. "You should sleep tonight as well. Today was long and stressful, you need your rest."

Mala was a little shocked. "I cannot. I must stay here with Dagur."

Kala sighed, finishing her work before standing and approaching the woman. She gently took hold of Mala's hand. "As a healer I'm telling you, you need to sleep. I can give you herbs to help."

"But, what his condition turns for the worse in the night and I'm not there?" Mala replied with a hint of fear

Kala gave her hands a gently squeeze. "Sleep in one of the empty beds. I'll stay and watch him. I think if he makes it through the night, he'll be okay."

Mala finally gave a relenting sigh. "Okay. But you are to wake me immediately if anything changes." Kala gave her a reassuring smile, as if to say she would. "And, I would appreciate sleeping herbs if you have any."

Deftly Kala quickly prepared the sleeping herbs, she'd practically perfected the recipe with Viggo. She made it into a cold tea for the queen to drink. "Fair warning, they are a little bitter." Mala's nose scrunched up as she swallowed the liquid, a distasteful expression appearing on her face.

"Throk says your dragon was hit with dragon root, and that was what cause his... violent behaviour." Mala said carefully.

Kala's face fell, almost saddened. "You know, he's never killed a dragon until today. A few people sure, trying to protect me. But never a dragon."

"He's quite obedient. I don't think he has moved since lying down."

"Bright Shadows are naturally dutiful to their riders. They can be aggressive, but not like today." Mala looked over at Dagur with a fresh wave of worry. He was asleep, his breathing deep and consistent. "You should sleep." Kala's voice brought Mala out of her daze.

She was quite insistent. "Alright," Mala finally relented. She lied down, her eyes not leaving her beloved. Within a few minutes, she had drifted off.

Kala knew it was going to be a long night of watching. This wasn't uncommon. She remembered barely sleeping the first few days she had taken Viggo in. She sat and watched. A part of her was worried. Not just for Dagur, but also for what Viggo must be thinking. Now that he could fly. She hoped he wasn't stupid enough to try and find her after being gone the whole night.

<<<<<>>>>>

With dawn came the warm sunlight filtering through the cracks of the walls. Kala had been up all night. Thankfully it was uneventful. She was sure Dagur would be alright.

Eventually Mala awoke and Throk and Heather entered the building, happy to see Dagur was stable. Kala was struggling to stay awake. During the night she patched up her own arm, as hard and crude as it was, and was packed. She had also taken the time to write down everything the defenders own healers would need to do. "Alright, change the bandages everyday. And check for infection. If you see any of it, remove it immediately. Take the stitches out after about 10 days, and he is to stay as still as possible in bed for that time. If there's any major change in his condition send a terror mail to me immediately."

Mala smiled at her. "Thank you Kala."

Kala gave her a friendly smile. "I should be going."

"If you ever need anything, the Defenders of the Wing are at your side. Dagur could be dead if it wasn't for you, and for that I owe you a debt."

Kala nodded before whistling to Midnight, who had remained in the spot all night. She climbed on him, waving the Defenders off before heading home.


	10. Budding

Kala was headed back home in the morning glow with full intentions of staying there for a few days and properly heal up. Midnight would also need time to heal. Thankfully the cuts he made on himself were surface level and didn't need treatment, but he still needed rest. When she reached the island, she saw Viggo sitting on a log with the Skrill, looking incredibly bored.

Landing on the island, Kala slipped off her dragons back, carrying her bag and Viggo's saddle.

Viggo gazed at her with a skeptical look. His eyes darted from the saddle, to her wounded arm and finally to Midnight's sliced face. "Did you have another interesting detour?"

Kala just sighed heavily, tossing the saddle at his feet. "It's been a long night." She replied dryly. Viggo stood and walked over to her. Gently, he took hold of her injured arm. She winced slightly, but said nothing. He examined the rather sloppy and crude patch-job she had done. The woman noticed his unimpressed expression. "It's not my best work I'll admit. Its hard working with your one non-dominant hand when your tired." She tried to explain, before a yawn overtook her.

"I've seen you work on me enough times, I'll fix you up. You can tell me what happened."

"Awe, how sweet of you." Kala replied in a playful tone. Despite that, it would be nice to have a properly dressed wound, and she would need to fix up her leg too.

The two went into the home, the room bright with the morning sunlight. Kala sat on her bed as Viggo pulled up the stool. She prepared the ointments while he cut away the soiled bandages. "I'm not used to playing 'patient,'" she said.

Viggo didn't reply right away, instead choosing to focus on her arm and leg. Her leg was completely scabbed over, and healing quite well. The man took of her arm again and inspected the wound. It was a clean one, not too deep and already to beginning to scab, but it would need herbs to fight any infection. As he began dabbing the ointment on, he spoke. "So what happened?"

Kala recounted her experience. Starting with the Hunters attack, to them discovering her identity. "This practically confirms that Krogan knows I'm here." She said.

"Well you haven't exactly been discreet." Viggo jested back. Kala only laughed darkly.

She moved on to the battle, and Midnight's strange behaviour after being shot with dragon root. Even Viggo was surprised, he had not seen a dragon act in such a way from the substance. She told him of Dagur's injury and the journey to Defenders of the Wing Island, staying overnight with him.

"Dagur is stubborn, I'm sure he'll be fine." Viggo said, gently bandaging her arm and leg.

"Sort of reminded me of when I first brought you here. Though you were in far worse condition. I don't think I slept for the first 2 days you were here. Had to watch for bleeding, shortness of breath, or even death." Kala said softly.

With her wounds properly dressed, Viggo sat back. He gave her a small smile. "You should rest now."

Kala wasn't about to object. Kicking off her boots, she laid down in her bed, asleep before Viggo even left the room.

<<<<<>>>>>

Viggo fiddled with the saddle Kala had brought from him for the day. With his trust built up with the Skrill, the dragon allowed him to fit it. Viggo had to make a few alterations, such as making it shorter and creating a hole for the first of the Skrill's back spines, but it fit well. The tall, stiff front edge would provide an easier hold, and allow him to maneuver the dragon easier.

As the sun began to set, he had yet to hear anything come from the home. Was Kala still asleep?

Viggo walked quietly into the home. Kala lay on her side, facing away from Viggo. Her wounded arm and leg facing up. The man wasn't sure if she was still asleep, as her breathing was still deep, and slow. Footsteps echoed off the walls and he stepped closer, trying to see her face.

"I am awake," Kala muttered. Viggo stopped, siting on the stool and Kala sat up. She leaned her back against the wall. Hair unkempt and eyes blank, she stared at nothing. "I've always hated this sitting around." She mumbled.

"You're a great healer but a terrible patient." Viggo replied. The insult-laced compliment got her attention as she looked at him. There was a strange solemnness in her eyes. "What's really wrong?" He asked gently.

Kala was quiet for a moment, thinking. "I'm sure Krogan knows I'm here. It would explain the Hunter's and Flyers desperately trying to capture me. And with their power and growing numbers, I'm worried it's only a matter of time before they succeed in catching me." Her voice trailed off, a moment of tense silence filled the air. "I'm not naive enough to believe I can keep evading them. Not anymore. That situation at the markets was a close-call." That middle part Viggo almost couldn't hear. It was strange, what did she mean 'not anymore'?

"What are you getting at?" Viggo coaxed.

"Should I just leave the Archipelago? Get away from all of this, try to make something of myself."

"I don't know your history with Krogan, but this is something you need to resolve in some way." Viggo said strongly. "Besides, you're not alone anymore. You've got the Riders and Defenders on your side now. And me."

Kala watched as he spoke, her eyes darting around. She looked so vulnerable, it was such a contrast to her usual confident and stoic persona. Whatever history there was between her and Krogan, it was painful and ran deep. She'd saved his life, he wanted to repay her for that, at least thats what he told himself.

After a moment, her face softened. "Thanks." She said with sweetness.

"You need to get you mind off things. Come on I have an idea." Viggo told her before standing and heading outside. He called over the Skrill. Kala followed him outside, curiosity dancing in her eyes. "You've never ridden on a dragon built for speed have you? Let's break this saddle in, it'll help clear your mind."

One would have to be daft to not realize that Midnight was a dragon built for combat, not a dragon built for sustained speed. While quick reflexes and fast bursts would accompany any dragon like him, his kind could never keep up with a Skrill or Nigh Fury. True speed wasn't something she may have experienced. Perhaps it would help.

She smiled. "Alright lets go." Viggo couldn't stop the his own smile from forming in return.

Viggo climbed onto the Skrill, Kala right behind him. Truth be told there wasn't much room atop the dragon. Kala wrapped her arms around his waist, holding on softly.

The Skrill took off suddenly. Kala was clearly not used to such a sudden speed change, used to a move gradually change. She clung tightly to Viggo as the air rushed by. They couldn't hear anything over the wind. The island became a mere speck down below quickly. With nothing else to hold on too Kala clutched Viggo's clothes.

Viggo was a little shocked at the tightness of her grasp. When he looked back, he saw her suit against the wind, watching the clouds whip by. The man smiled to himself.

The Skrill turned, rose and dived everywhere, keeping up that intense speed. They had lost track of time, and the sun was setting. Viggo slowed the Skrill down. "Shall we head down for the night?" He asked. Feeling Kala nod against his back, he urged the Skrill into one last dive back towards the island far down below. Completing a flip, it felt like time had come to a stand still, as Kala looked down at the beautiful sight of the orange sky, clouds and water. All too soon the moment was over, he dragon had pulled his wings in, and nosedived.

Kala had never felt such a rush of wind. Their eyes watered at the fast moving air. Holding tight they inched closer and closer to the water. And just as it seemed like they would hit the water, the Skrill opened its wings and pulled back into a horizontal position. The force of the change was so strong that had Kala not held so tight to Viggo, she would have fallen. The Skrill glided along the ocean, slowly but surely slowing down, and finally landing back on the island.

Kala let go, he fingers sore from her tight grip, and the two jumped off the dragon, who in turn was tired. Viggo, took the saddle off of him to give him a break.

It was silent between the two for a moment. After that time in the air, Viggo found it weird to not have her arms around him. Thankfully that feeling was quick to subside. 

Then Kala grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. She was close, and looking up at him, and it only made more obvious the large height difference between them. "Thanks Viggo, you're not so bad." Her voice kind.

"You needed it." Was all he said in reply.

Kala smiled, "Though you should do something about those high winds. Really makes your eyes water." She advised. Viggo just stared at her unblinking as she let go and began building a fire. "I'm starving, lets make something to eat."

<<<<<>>>>>

It had been a couple days since Kala's return. Her wounds were finally almost healed. Now she was able to walk without limping; being able to walk around without pain in her leg was something she'd taken for granted. Her arm was also healing well, though she still had trouble pulling back an arrow.

Viggo had passed the time making a facemask with built-in goggles. It was nothing fancy, but it would definitely keep the wind from striking his face and allow him to see better at high speeds. Kala on the other hand had spent her time pacing between watching over his shoulder at his work and working with Midnight.

Whenever she watched him work he tried his best not to be distracted by her looming presence. Her shadow hung heavy on him as she watched with curious eyes. She was strangely quiet, choosing to let him work in peace before she moved on, only to return a little while. When she did leave he felt bare, and often couldn't help but glance in her direction occasionally. He wasn't sure what compelled him to look.

Sometimes her back was to him, other times she was facing him. A few times she caught him, holding his gaze before smiling and returning to whatever she was doing. One time she was practicing her shots. He had watched far longer than he should have, it was impossible to tear his eyes away from the beauty and grace of her technique. Even with an injured arm, many of her arrows hit a bullseye. Viggo could only imagine how many poor souls were on the receiving end of her shot.

They then spent their nights playing Maces and Talons. Of course Viggo won every round, and now Kala appeared to be getting frustrated with always losing.

By evening of the third day, Viggo had finished his project. With few resources it was hardly more than a prototype, but it would work.

The sunset this evening was gorgeous, warm and inviting. Viggo and Kala had finished eating. The sat in silence. Viggo watched Kala. She faced the defencing sun, the orange glow bouncing off her pretty features. Yet her eyes were distant. Despite having these last few days to themselves she was still as reserved and secretive as ever.

After a couple moments, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and turned to Viggo. "Do you want to know the history between Krogan and I?" She asked, her voice was strained.

Viggo was a little surprised she brought it up, but wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. He nodded.

"Alright, I'll try to keep this long story short.

"It all started when I was maybe 14. My tribe was doing rather well, and at the time we had good relations with other nearby tribes. I was becoming proficient in healing, but I was rebellious and wanted to learn to fight, but my parents never let me. Krogan had showed up on our shores alone, and in need of help. Our chief was a good man, took him in. All us teenagers were intrigued by the stranger. He seemed to take a liking to me. I begin training in combat with him behind my parents back.

"He left after a couple weeks. For the next few years he would show up at the same time, his crew getting larger and larger. I trained and got better. It seemed simple, alright. I was a naive child.

"Tensions had began to build between my tribe and the others. Skirmishes often broke out when groups met. It was when I was 19 that I realized something was, off. He treated me different, and I realized he was a little more than 'friendly.' Not only that, but by this point he'd amassed a large crew, and dragons. I'm not too sure what happened, but Krogan and the Chief had a falling out. I remember him practically seething with concealed rage. Before he left, he tried to get me to leave with him. I declined, he left and I thought that was the end of it.

"Remember how I told you both my brother and I had Tenelux's? Hardly a day after Krogan's departure my brother was on patrol on his dragon, Daybreak, and he went missing. A rescue party found him beaten and unconscious, with his dragon's severed head left on a pike. Turns out one of Krogan's goons beat him and stole his dragon, what was left of it anyway. It was clearly a signal that Krogan was ready to fight. My chief decided to take the offensive. My father and brother went to fight, and my mother went to attend to the wounded right away. I wanted to go, but they wouldn't let me.

"I remember being so frustrated, being left behind with the elders, women and children. I hated it. They never returned by nightfall, so I left to find them. When I found them, it was horrific. The beach was littered with bodies. Among them were my parents, and brother. After I tried flying back home, but Krogan had already beat me there. He was looking for me. I grabbed my bow and arrow, my family dagger and ran. They must have seen me run because a couple of them followed me on their own dragons. Midnight was still quite young, there was no way he could outfly them. I had no choice and I shot them. They were the first men I'd ever killed.

"For the next year I flew all over, just trying to keep Krogan off my trail. Flew inland, away from the ocean. Once I was sure they lost me I tried to make something of myself. Found this city on the coast. It was huge. I kept Midnight in the forest outskirts, figured perhaps it was best to let him live a wild life. I drifted in the city for a few years. Did what I had to to survive... Midnight never left the forest, a Tenelux's loyalty to astounding. Just as I thought I had found a life, Krogan showed up. He ruined everything good I had there, so I left. Drifted around since then, met new people but I never stayed anywhere for too long. Then I heard of Krogan here.

"I knew I could never be free of him unless he was dead. So I came to kill him. But now, the prospect of that occurring is slim."

Viggo was silent. It was a lot to take in. Krogan killed her family, ran her out of her home, ruined whatever she had in a new city, and apparently had 'more than friendly' feelings for her. It was sick. He couldn't blame her for wanting to rid the world of him once and for all. Although, she seemed to leave out a fair amount of info on this 'city' and what happened. Thats were she spent her early adulthood, so surely what happened there was important. But that was for another day.

The sun was dipping behind he ocean by the time she finished. Kala stared daggers into nothingness. Gently Viggo set a hand on her shoulder, pulling her attention to him. She looked at him with wide eyes, awaiting his response. "He'll get whats coming to him." He said in a low voice. He removed his had from her shoulder, only to bring his hand up to the burn scar on his face. "In a way we all do," he said, voice hardly more than a whisper.

Kala moved a little closer to him, a slid her hand between his own and his face. The warmth of her fingers on the scarred tissue surprised him, and yet was quite comforting. Her hand was small and fingers thin, easily covered by his own hand. Her fingers ran done the various lines in the scar before pulling away, leaving behind a chill.

"Thanks for listening Viggo." Kala said softly. She stood up, leaving him alone. "Alright, I'm going to head to the spring and have a bath. Don't get any ideas, I'll be back soon." With a wave, she disappeared into the home and came back out with what appeared to be fresh clothes and a towel. Then she disappeared into the darkness with Midnight trailing behind her.

'Don't get any ideas' she had said, only now too many ideas were flowing into his head, some less than appropriate. Viggo shook his head. After what she had just old him he should not be thinking like that. Running a hand through his hair, he grabbed his own towel and walked in the opposite direction towards the river. Kala might need a bath to relax, he just needed to get his mind off... certain things.


	11. Game Night

The river was freezing. Of course it was, it was fresh mountain water. But the shock of the cold dragged the breath from Viggo's chest. Viggo was used to having warm baths. Even the hot spring Kala went to was a good enough substitute for a bathtub. Normally on nights like this Viggo would have waited for Kala to return from the spring before enjoying the warm water for himself. But tonight he needed to get... certain things off his mind the ice cold water so graciously pulled out.

Except now he was so cold his breathing was shaky and he was shivering. He'd almost find the situation humorous if he wasn't so bloody cold. Quickly he grabbed the soap he brought and cleaned as fast as he could. In a flash he was out of the water, dry and back in his clothes. The evening air felt especially chilly now, leaving goosebumps behind on any exposed skin.

Kala was still gone when he returned to camp. The fire had dwindled to a few dying flames. Even the sky was a dark orange, the sun having fallen long ago. Stars were beginning the dot the sky. Instead of waiting in the cold Viggo entered the home, glad to be engulfed by warmth.

Viggo relit the various candles around the home, cleaning the old wax out. Lighting the final candle, he felt a breeze of cold air on the back of his neck. Turning around he saw Kala closing the door.

Her arms carried the clothes she'd worn earlier and soap. She wore a tight tank and simple leather pants. Her snowy hair almost looked pale grey in its damp state, hanging heavy at the sides of her face.

"I didn't hear you come in. The wind gave you away." Viggo told her flatly.

Kala gave him in half smile. "Old habits die hard." She answered back, setting down the articles of clothes she carried.

"How are your wounds?" Viggo asked, changing the subject. Kala still kept much of her history hidden, and as much as she wanted to know what she meant by her words, he knew asking would most likely cause to her close off.

In response to his question Kala flexed her thigh and arm. She didn't flinch. "Not much in the ways of pain now. And they've scabbed over nicely. A hot bath also helps."

"Good to hear. We should begin planning our next move." Viggo told her.

Kala gave a sigh. "Let's do that tomorrow yeah? At least let me have one more night of pretending I don't have problems off this island." She pleaded, almost child-like.

Viggo had to admit it was late. Perhaps one more night to themselves wasn't such a bad thing. Wordlessly he nodded. Kala gave a small smile of thanks.

Moving to the small table, she grabbed a small bottle of oil. "Could you sit on the bed? I'd like to check your back one more time."

Viggo doubted there was anything to check but didn't argue, removing his tunic and sitting on the stool that was near the bed. Kala herself sat on the edge of the bed, and began working the warm soothing oil over his skin. It was easy to tell when fingers passed over the freshly scarred skin. It was sensitive, and the pressure she applied definitely lightened. She made several light passes over the old wounds with the oil. Frankly the warmth was nice, he was still chilled from the river.

Kala was quiet while she worked, as she usually was. Practically lost in her own world. The motions entranced him in some way. "Your muscles feel rather tense. You haven't been riding too much have you? It can put a lot of strain on your body, especially at such high speeds." Viggo knew exactly why his muscles were tense, and it wasn't the riding. Although he wasn't about to tell her. "Could very well be," was his only answer.

Kala moved away from the bed back to the table, and began to warm the oil over a candle. Her next question came soon after, "Can you move closer to the bed?"

Viggo was a little confused, but moved closer until his back was nearly touching the furniture. With the small bottle of oil in hand, Kala poured a small amount onto her hands, and placed them on the mans shoulders. She pressed harder than before, moving her hands more rhythmically.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously. This was different than before.

"I'm giving you a massage." She answered rather matter-of-factly. "It will help you relax." Viggo couldn't deny it felt quite nice. The warm oil and soothing motions were nothing like what he'd experienced. They fell back into silence while she worked. Her fingers were stronger than they looked, pushing just the right amount in the right places. It was hypnotic.

Viggo's eyes closed without him realizing. It was silent, save for the whistling of the wind. It was too easy to lose track of time. Kala lost in his work, Viggo lost in her touch.

Eventually the oil was cool and Viggo came out of his trace. The woman's warm hands left his skin, and she sat back letting out a breathy sigh. Viggo turned to look at her. She looked small sitting on her knees on the bedding. How she had the strength to maintain such a constant pressure was a mystery. "So where did you learn that technique?" He inquired, an eyebrow raised.

She gave him a small smile. "Massaging? I learned it from people in Egypt. It's actually fairly common in many countries towards the east. Its an old practice." She explained. "Its for relaxation, stress reduction, muscle tension, and other things." Slowly, she got off the bed carefully not touch the bedding with her oily hands. From the stand she grabbed a large towel, wiping away the excess oil. Viggo did feel looser, less tense while pulling his tunic back on.

"There is another way we can relax," Kala spoke up. Viggo only raised a brow at the statement before she knelt down, pulling a large bottle of wine out with a sly smile. "You have made a full recovery from the brink of death. I think we can celebrate that."

A small laugh came from the man. "You're going to celebrate the fact I didn't die?" He asked with amusement, not really being serious.

"Well... maybe I want to celebrate my own work. Saving someone most healers would consider a lost cause is something to be proud of." She admitted.

The bottle's seal was unbroken. The liquid inside the glass was a a dark red. Was drinking alcohol really a good idea? Although, it had been a long time since Viggo properly drank, and he guessed it was the same for her. Taking one night to themselves and drinking couldn't hurt, could it?

"Do you have wine glasses?"

She did not have wine glasses.

They made due with old clean jars that once held herbs. The wine poured smoothly from the bottle to the jar. The aroma was potent, fruity and floral, yet was inviting. It tasted just the same. They decided to move outside into the chilly night air, pulling the Maces and Talons board out with them. Viggo sat on the log Kala on a stump. Her legs were crossed, and an arm across her chest, as if trying to conserve her body heat. The sky dark, only the crescent of the moon and peppered stars to illuminate the island. Games and booze should prove to be interesting.

They drank as they played in the fire and moonlight. Their first two rounds went by unremarkably. By the end of the second, each had finished their first jar. As Kala refilled them, Viggo reset the board. "So Viggo, where did you learn Maces and Talons? All this time and I've yet to best you." Kala inquired, making the first move.

"My grandfather taught me when I was young. It took me a long time before I finally won against him." He answered. "He taught me all the tricks and strategies. And I've given them my own personal touches."

"I've noticed you got a few strategies you tend to favour, but will change if I make you."

"Winning is a healthy mix of effective strategy, risk and understanding your opponent."

Kala swirled the wine in her jar before sipping at it. "Politics, business and battles have never been my forte. Always was more of a soloist." She responded, making her. Her mismatched eyes flicked from the board, back up to Viggo's own. "Though I do like to consider myself a people person."

"Oh you do? And yet you still haven't bested me." Viggo replied, counterattacking with his next move, having a drink.

Kala defended herself against the move, taking another, rather long, sip. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve." She replied, a sly smile pulling at her lips and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Viggo only gave a smirk in response. They continued the rest of the game in silence. Drinking and moving their pieces like clockwork. As the fire was dying down, their jars were empty and Viggo played his final winning move.

"I didn't get to see any new tricks." He stated smugly. Kala didn't reply to his taunt, yet the mischief never left her eyes.

"You'll see them when the time is right." She looked to the fire, who's flames were dwindling. "We need more wood." She stated, standing up, swaying slightly.

Viggo felt a little hot by the embers. "I'll come with." He left out saying he wasn't sure she could carry enough, given her small build and buzzed state of mind. When he stood up he finally felt the effects of the booze, but he remained balanced. Perhaps the wine had a higher alcohol content than normal. Kala didn't seem to mind the company.

Together they walked into the pitch black, in the direction of the small woodpile they used. The light from the stars and moon was just enough to see where they were going.

Viggo could tell he was ever so slightly inebriated from the alcohol, though walking in a straight line wasn't an issue. Looking over at the woman, she seemed just a little more affected, there was an occasional stumble in her footsteps. As they neared the woodpile, she tripped suddenly on a rogue tree root. Viggo heard the thump, and then felt her arms reaching out searching for stabilization. Her arms and hands wrapped around his arm as she regained her balance. Her skin was quite warm against his, despite the chill in the air. His heart beat harder for a moment. The brief moment of contact was gone just as quickly as it occurred. She withdrew, letting go. "Sorry about that." She stuttered out, a sheepish smile on her face. "I'm usually better at handling my alcohol. I guess its been awhile since I drank."

"Don't worry about it." Viggo assured her. She was no longer touching him, yet it felt like she walked closer. It was probably just the drink.

Reaching the woodpile, they each grabbed a few logs. Enough to keep the fire going for perhaps another hour. The short walk back was uneventful. They put a couple into the fire, and soon the flames were large and bright and warm again. Pouring more of the wine into their jars, they continued their fun night of drinks and games.

<<<<<>>>>>>

Viggo had lost track of time. He'd also lost track of how many jars of wine he'd drank by the time he stopped. He hadn't been this properly drunk since he was a teenager. Yet he was quite good at handling his booze. Kala had stopped drinking about a game ago, saying she 'reached her limit.' Probably not wanting to become too drunk.

The fire was starting to lose its strength. They would be turning in soon.

"Lets have one more game before the fire dies out." Kala said, managing to not slur her words. Viggo grunted in agreement. His head was spinning slightly, but he enjoyed these games they'd play. He always found it interesting what Kala would try to beat him, it pushed his own skills though he'd never admit it. But he found that tonight, her skills became simpler the drunker they became. It wasn't how she usually was.

Reseting the board, he waited for Kala to make the first move.

She was looking at him. Face flushed from being intoxicated. Her head placed in her hand, elbow resting on her crossed legs. The mix of fire and moonlight bounced rather stunningly off her features. He caught his own eyes lingering a little long, and glanced back at the board. Kala never took notice of his slight apprehension, and made her move.

As she did she shifted her position on the stump upon which she sat. Sitting up straight for a moment, she uncrossed her legs and arms. Her body edged closer to the board and further from the fire. She was probably feeling hot from the alcohol. The movements felt like slow motion to Viggo. Eyes tracking her movements. He couldn't help but notice how tightly her thin clothes clung to her body. The shirt she wore hugged her like a second skin.

He looked away to make his move. And once he did it was hard to stop himself from looking at her again. Looking at her in a light he previously never did. She was thin, but toned. Various scars and white lines seemed haphazardly placed on her arms. Old wounds. His eyes moved to what they could see of her legs. They were long, and strong. The curve of her hips and waist were accentuated. A more primal part of his brain wondered how well his hands would fit in that curve.

He forced those thoughts away immediately. In truth, besides helping her with her wounds, he'd barely touched her in these past weeks. That part of him wanted to feel her again, just like in the woods not long ago. He pushed those thoughts away too. It was wrong to think like that, right? The woman didn't seem to notice his eyes, nor his internal struggle. Slowly she made her next move before looking back at him, a sweet smile on her pink lips.

Viggo made his move quickly, not needing to think it over. Kala's eyes went back to the board, trying to formulate a plan in her drunken mind. The man couldn't stop his eye from returning to her. Her hair looked soft in the moonlight, shining like snow. The wavy strands were long, framing her face. Some layers sat on her shoulders, tickling her collarbones. His eyes travelled just a little lower. He realized she wore nothing under the shirt. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her chest. Her breasts were smaller than most viking women, but perky. He remembered why he never got drunk; it was so much harder to control his behaviour. It didn't help that he couldn't remember the last time he'd lain with a woman. He'd only ever considered more of a waste of time, a distraction from his work.

"Hey Viggo, can I ask you a question?" Kala piped up. The question startled him, and he's eyes flew up her face. She wasn't looking him.

"Of course." He replied, resigning himself to stop looking at her in such a way, it wasn't right. She made her move, and looked at him, leaning forward to rest her forearms on her legs. "Did you ever have a wife?"

Viggo couldn't stop the surprise from showing on his face. Had he been drink, he was sure he would have choked on his drink. Of all the questions he thought she would ask, that was far from it. She waited patiently across the board for his answer. A relatively happy drunken expression was on her face, but curiosity glinted in her eyes.

Recovering from his shock just as quick as he showed it, Viggo straightened. "No." He answered simply, taking his turn on the game board. Though truth be told, the game wasn't exactly at the forefront of his thoughts.

Kala raised an eyebrow. "Really? In some places, it would be near scandalous for a man of your station to not have taken a wife." She stared at the game board for a moment, moving a piece somewhere.

"Never was a priority. Found it more of a distraction."

A foxy grin appeared on Kala's face. "So you find women distracting, is that it?"

Viggo could have sworn he saw her eyebrows wiggle at her own suggestive comment. "You know what I mean." He said, but he couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on his face at her warmth.

"In fairness I have seen a few rich men lose everything they had because of women. They were idiot men, their fortunes having been handed down."

"Sounds rather scandalous." Viggo said, taking a moment to glance at the board and move a piece if only to keep the game going. "What about you? Surely a beautiful woman such as yourself could find a man." The words tumbled from his lips before he even knew what he said.Kala tensed for a moment, but it was gone just as quick. "No, I've never married." She said evenly. She moved a piece of the game, and the the mischievous glint returned to her eyes. "Though I'm sure I could get any man I wanted." Her voice was smooth and bold, like she knew she was right.

She looked at him after she spoke. Her eyes flicked down his body and back up to eyes. Unconsciously he did the same, perhaps his eyes lingered on her lips just a little too long. He looked down to the game and made his move. "What makes you so sure?" He asked.

She chuckled lowly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Yes, yes he would like to know. Viggo didn't like not knowing things. "Don't want to share you're secrets?" He probed.

Her eyes flicked down, then back up. She leaned forward, placing her forearms on the side of the board. Viggo didn't notice himself leaning forward with her. "Perhaps I could share one thing." She answered, voice sultry.

"And what would that be?" Viggo asked, his own voice low.

She paused. The tension in the air was thick. Time seemed to hang in the air.

Then he heard a familiar thunk of the wood. Time seemed to move again. "Checkmate." A large smile erupted on her face.

Viggo looked down. The game pieces. Their positions meant only one thing.

He'd lost.

And he hadn't seen it coming.

Viggo was speechless, staring at Kala as she silently celebrated.

"I finally won." She stated, more to herself. The look of sheer joy on her features only highlighted by the starlight. He should be angry, but he found he couldn't. Whether it was the alcohol coursing through his system still or not, he was simply mesmerized.

Once she was finished her inner celebration, she looked at the fire, hardly more than warm embers. "I'm going to turn in for the night. Its getting cold." Her words brought him out of his trace.

"I'll be in soon." Viggo said.

Kala stod and headed toward the home. She wobbled as she walked, still somewhat intoxicated. Viggo wondered if that sway in her hips was also because of the booze or not.

Viggo was still wondering just how she had beat him. Sure he wasn't exactly paying attention to the game, but she was just as drunk as he was. She'd never beaten him sober, it didn't make sense to beat him drunk.

As he paced he tried to think it through. What strategies had she done that got her the win? There was nothing remarkable in their earlier games of the night. So what changed? She'd said she 'still had a few tricks up her sleeve' and that had to be it. And she 'considered herself a people person.'

Then it hit him.

She'd played him. The entire night.

It all started when she'd left to take a bath. "Don't get any ideas" she'd said, planting the seeds for her plan. Of course such a comment led him to think rather unsavoury things. She'd worn tight clothes too, which only added fuel to those thoughts. And then the massage. It had felt good, perhaps on more levels than it normally should. Next the alcohol. Always a good choice when you wanted someone to not throughly think their actions through. When they played, her moves in previous games were simple and predictable, lulling him into a false sense of security. He had fallen into every single trap of hers. But he wasn't angry. He was impressed. Very few people could have done played him without him even knowing it. But he realized there was one major flaw that could have made her efforts for naught. It hinged the assumption he would be interested in her that way. That he'd take the suggestions she threw out and run with them.

Then the second realization of the night hit him. Viggo brought his hands to his face and rubbed. How could he be so stupid to develop these juvenile feelings. And how could he have not realized it sooner?

He wanted her.

For so long he'd never felt like this. Relationships, women, sex; it was all just a distraction from his business. And it worked well. Until the riders came along he was on track to be one of the richest and most famous Dragon Hunters around. That was gone now. But why would he want her? It couldn't be just because she was currently his only option. If that was the case these primal feelings would have made themselves apparent long ago.

He didn't want think about why these feelings appeared. His brain wasn't working in that department right now. Rather, he wondered what tipped her off to his feelings. And he wondered, did she feel the same, or was this all just to win some game?

Viggo strode towards the home. Letting himself in, he found Kala quietly sipping on water, running her fingers through the white strands near a small mirror on the wall. She stood to greet him.

"Finally get to cold outside?"

"That wasn't exactly fair win." He said immediately, not acknowledging her first statement.

She just smirked. "A win is a win. Fair doesn't usually matter in real life anyway."

Viggo took a step closer to her. "It wasn't exactly a strategy I'd ever expected. Maces and Talons is more focused on the battle maneuvers."

"Wars aren't just won on the battle field Viggo. Sometimes whats going on outside the battles and the politics matters just as much." She said, voice coming from experience. "Besides, I told you those aren't my strength."

He took another step. "Is that a strategy you've employed before?" He voice was becoming quite low.

Kala didn't give him a straight answer. "No need to fix what isn't broken." She replied coyly. Viggo wondered if this was a tried and true thing she did.

"Oh? I don't believe that's one you'd use on just anyone." Another step. She was within arms length. The closer he got, tenser in apprehension he became. Her own eyes gave away nothing.

"I'm picky about who gets to see it." She replied. She took a step towards him, craning her neck just keep looking in his eyes.

"And how do you decide?" He placed a hand on the wall, stabilizing himself as the tension in the air heightened further. He was enjoying this coy back and forth of theirs.

"Those who see it have something I'm looking for." Her voice was smooth, and even. Her body inched just slightly closer. It took much control from Viggo to keep his eyes on her face.

"And what, pray tell, are you looking for?" His voice was low, reverberating off the walls of the small home.

Kala couldn't hold back a small chuckle deep in her throat. "You're a smart man, I'm sure you can figure that out yourself." Her voice was full of suggestion.

They fell into silence. The world seemed to stop around them. Only the sound of candles flickering filled the air. To Viggo her intentions were clear. It was a matter now of if they held the same goals.

He didn't think any longer. Overthinking would only hold him back. Without another word, he brought his free hand to her cheek. Before she could react, Viggo swooped down and kissed her.


	12. Quite the Night

Without another word, he brought his free hand to her cheek. Before she could react, Viggo swooped down and kissed her. Her lips were supple and warm. His hand held her face so gently yet firm, while the other trailed downwards, coming to rest on her back.

She responded in kind, pressing her body to his. There was no hesitation as she snaked her hands up his chest and behind his neck. Viggo was glad she felt the same. Somehow it just felt right to have her in his arms.

Lips moved together slowly. It started chaste and slow. She stood on her toes with her neck craned, and even then Viggo still had had to lean down to reach. She was so short, surely this position wouldn't do. At a languid pace, he slipped his large hands to her slim waist, wanting to savour the curves. His hands settled in nicely.

Suddenly her gripped her hard, fingers digging in. She gasped against his lips as he lifted her with relative ease. Her arms came to completely wrap around his neck and her legs around his hips, trying not to fall down. Although there was no way Viggo was going to let her go now that he had her.

The wall was near, so Viggo pressed Kala against the wall with his body. The stone was cold against her back, such a contrast to the heat of the man. Now that he could comfortably kiss her, Viggo's hands moved. One moved down, over her hip, gliding along her leather pants to her rear, giving the firm round cheek a small squeeze. Hearing the gentle stutter in her breath only emboldened him. His other hand moved over her shirt. Even beneath the fabric he could feel each of her ribs as his fingers skimmed along her ribcage.

His hand returned to her face. Tilting her face, he tried chance to deepen their kiss. His tongue swiped at her lips, searching for entrance. She smirked against him, playfully denying his ask. Viggo smirked back, an idea in mind. His lower hand squeezed again, this time much harder. The action made her gasp again to greater effect. Viggo didn't waste his chance this time.

The kiss became more heated. More passionate. One of her hands had snaked upwards, fingers coming to tangle in his hair. It had become somewhat shaggy, grown out during his time on the island. Her grip was weak, just enough to be registered. The touch only made Viggo want her more.

They stayed there for a short while. Exploring each other in a subdued way. The air grew warmer. Heat beginning to pool in their lower stomachs. But neither gave any signs of wanting to stop.

Kala pulled away first, breathing hard and trying to return some oxygen to her brain. As she pulled back, Viggo kissed the edge of her lip, to her cheek. The skin underneath his lips pulled upwards as she smiled. With the hand that was still on her cheek, he tilted her head back. The moment his lips touched her neck she tensed up, breath hitched and stopped moving. Viggo immediately pulled away, worried he'd pushed too hard.

"I'm sorry, is that too far?" Viggo asked, his voice still quite low.

A blush appeared on Kala's face, she looked almost embarrassed. "No, I'm sorry its a... thing. Its not you." She sputtered out.

Viggo just quirked an eyebrow. He felt her legs loosen, and let her down. "A thing? If you want to stop we can."

"No! No I don't want to." She said almost too quickly. "It's just..." She trailed off again. Then she slumped down against the wall, averting her gaze from Viggo's intense one. She brought her own hand to touch her neck. "Back in my old tribe, touching another's neck was seen as one of the highest forms of intimacy, generally reserved for those who are married. I haven't let anyone touch my neck... in a long time." She explained. "I guess it's just something I've kept from them."

It must be important to her if she had such reaction. Yet she said she didn't want to stop, and frankly neither did he.

He closed the physical distance between them once more, close enough their breath mingled in the air. Carefully he brought his hand to her face once more, avoiding her neck. He didn't want to spoil the mood again. Tilting her head back up, he looked her in the eyes. This close up, they were stunning. "Would you prefer if I did not touch your neck?"

She didn't answer right away. Her eyes wavering back and forth for a moment. Her fingers gripped his tunic, and finally she held his gaze. "You can." She said evenly.

When Viggo leaned back in to kiss her, she met him halfway. Standing on her toes she let herself fall into his warm embrace. Viggo wrapped his free hand around her lower back. The kiss regained heat quickly. Tongue's clashed, breaths got heavy.

Tentatively his hand slid down to her slender neck. Kala did tense up again, but kept going. Her neck was so small just like the rest of her. Or maybe his hand was just large. It didn't matter. He could wrap it over halfway around. With his fingers he rubbed the back of her neck, she moaned into the kiss.

Kala's hands began to wander his chest, shoulders and arms. Despite the weeks of rest, she could still feel the strong muscles underneath his tunic. No wonder he'd so easily been able to pick her up. She felt one of his hands trailing the curves of her lower body on top of her clothes. That wouldn't do. She wanted to feel his hands on her skin.

Firmly she pushed him backwards, towards the bed. Never breaking lip contact he followed her lead, for now. He felt the edge of the bed hit the back of his knees. Kala pushed down.

Viggo slowly sat onto the soft mattress as back as he could. Kala climbed on top, straddling his thighs and hips. In this position Viggo had to look up at her. Then, on the backs of his hands he felt her fingers, guiding his own somewhere else. He followed her guidance until she left them on her hips. Viggo couldn't stop himself from gripping them, grinding into them. Kala breathed in sharply, bringing her hands to his face.

He's kept his beard trimmed and shaped, but it was still thick. Her fingers played with the hairs and skin on his jaw, pushing her hips down to meet his. For the first time that night Viggo let out a low groan. Heat pooling low once again.

The woman moved her hands back down his chest, and he felt her fingers reach underneath his tunic. The shirt rode up with her hands, the sensation of her fingers on his skin was like lightning.He let go of her for a second, if only to help discard the annoying piece of clothing. They had to break their kiss to get if off.

Kala sat back for a moment, admiring his well muscled physique. Viggo stilled, allowing her to slowly trace the lines of muscles, occasionaly pausing to trace an old forgotten scar. Really Viggo did not have many, just the few major ones. Avoiding fighting and scuffles was more of a priority. Eyes trained downwards, she traced the edge of his trousers. The sight and touch sent a rush of blood downwards in the man.

Viggo began moving once more, hands slipping underneath the shirt she wore. Agonizingly slow, he slid the shirt upwards, revealing more of her smooth skin. Then, nearing her chest, he pushed up fast, removing the the shirt in one swift motion. He couldn't stop himself from staring at her now exposed breasts. Nipples hardened at being exposed to the air.

Viggo leaned in to kiss Kala again with passion. One of his hands went to her chest, kneading the small breast in his palm. He felt he moan into mouth, and began movings her hips once again.

The two stayed there for awhile. Kissing, touching, rubbing. Becoming more aroused with each passing second.

Eventually Viggo wanted to be the one in control again. Without waiting he stood, picking up Kala along the way. She yelped, but smiled good-naturedly. Viggo turned, lying her down on the bed, climbing on top.

Lying down felt much more intimate than their previous positions. He was between her legs, hands on either side of her head, looking down. Kala's face was flushed, a small blush on her cheeks. Her eyes dancing with bliss. Lips plump. His eyes traveled down, over her slender neck to her body. It was only then that he realized just how many scars she had on her torso. He traced the various scars with his fingers, wondering what made some of them. The white lines were from blade nicks no doubt. Perhaps a stab wound on her shoulder. They were relics of a hard last few years.

"You going to stare all day or are you going to touch me?" Kala quipped. Her words brought him back to looking at her face. He only had one coherent thought. She was gorgeous. Her white hair framed her face on the bed, candlelight flickered off her features.

Leaning down he connected their lips once more. Kissing her was a feeling he wished would last forever. Leaving little more than a peck on lips, he moved over, kissing her cheek, and then her jaw towards her neck. Leaving a trail of white hot pleasure with every kiss.

Kala tilted her neck up, giving him the access he needed. There was one question he had. "Why the neck?" he asked, gently working his lips against the warm skin.

One of Kala's hands found themselves in his hair. "Its based on the idea of the neck being so crucial for life." She gasped when he began to gently suck on her pulse point. Moaning with the touch. "Theres many ways you can kill someone by just injuring such a small part of the body."

She reached a hand to his, guiding it to her neck. She placed his fingers on the front, running them up and down. "Do you feel those rings? Thats our windpipe, we need it to breath." Then she swallowed, Viggo felt the muscles in her throat working down. "Behind it is the esophagus, we need it to eat." Next, she moved his fingers to the side, and beneath his fingertips he felt a pulse. "We have important veins that carry blood to our head. If they are cut just too deep, you'd bleed out with no chance of survival." Then finally she moved his fingers to the back of her neck, he felt the various vertebrae just millimetres underneath the skin. "And the top of the spine. If you break it low, you can paralyze the body. Break it high enough and you'll die."

Viggo finished his ministrations on her neck, and chose instead to look her in the eye for the final part of her explanation. "Its such an essential part of the body of life. In my tribe, letting someone touch it was a symbol of putting your life in their hands."

Now her tense reaction made more sense, if it was such a special area of the body to her. Although he couldn't exactly articulate a response at the moment. He didn't ask what that meant for him. Instead letting her words wash over him as he returned to kissing her neck. Feeling the rings of her windpipe under his lips. The heat emanating from the veins. The soft vibrations from her sounds.

He started moving down her body further. Touching and kissing every inch he could. Listening to the quiet moans Kala gave at his touch. Her head was relaxed and she gave no indication of discomfort.

Viggo moved lower, hooking his fingers in her pants. Pulling them down, Kala began to move to get them off herself. The creamy smooth skin of her legs was exposed, as well as her womanhood. Starting at her knees, he kissed upwards. Pressing his fingers into her thigh. His movements were painfully slow. He stared at her face, enjoying her squirming as he delayed her pleasure, building it more.

Finally, his fingers slid high enough to reach between her legs. She was incredibility wet. The feeling of his finger sliding so easier along the slit was erotic. The woman threw her head back in pleasure. "Viggo..." She stuttered out. Her voice was strained as she moaned with every movement.

Viggo crawled back up to hover above her, leaving his hand down to tease. "Yes?" He asked in response, almost patronizingly. He voice was deep, and raspy. It sent a shiver down Kala's spine.

Before she could answer he slid his finger in. He quite enjoyed watching, her eyes screw shut and mouth come agape at his strokes. Her hands came up to grip his arm. He teased her, sliding his finger in and out, dragging out his pace just to bug her.

When it seemed she was finally going to speak, he added a second finger. It slid in easily. Kala moaned louder this time, pleasure clouding her eyes. It felt too good to speak properly. Viggo grinned devilishly above her, enjoying how she gripping him in an attempt to dissuade some of the pleasure he gave her. She was breathing harder now, chest rising and falling quickly.

He leaned down to kiss her neck once again. He licked and nibbled at the skin. Soon his fingers began pumping faster and harder. Her pleasure filled moans became louder, more draw out. He wanted to hear more of those noise from her. Because of him. If he could, he'd pleasure her all night.

One of the hands on his arm left, leaving a cold spot. Then he felt a pressure on groin. Looking down, he saw Kala's hand pawing at his trousers. Cupping his arousal through his trousers Viggo let out a low groan. He was so hard it was beginning to hurt.

He turned back to neck when he felt her hand travel down his pants. The feeling of her fingers working against his shaft shot a wave of ecstasy down his back. As his fingers moved faster, so did hers. Without realizing it he began to suck harder on her neck in an effort to stifle his own moans.

Finally, Kala managed to speak. "Off." She commanded.

Viggo couldn't wait any longer either. With speed he hastily withdrew his fingers from her, causing her to whine at the loss. He shed his pants in one swift motion. Crawling back up her body, he let most of his weight lay on her, simply enjoying the feeling of skin on skin. She leaned up, breathlessly kissing him.

From her hands she had a good idea for how big he was. However she may have underestimated him. Just from the touch she could tell he was both long and girthy, it made the woman swallow in anticipation. Underneath Viggo he felt Kala shift her hips upwards, legs hugging his hips. His cock ghosted over her pussy. It was slick and hot.

Without breaking their kiss, Viggo reached down, and aligned himself with her.

He pulled back, looking into Kala's half lidded eyes, looking for permission. She gave the slightest nod, wrapping her arms underneath his and onto his back. He didn't need any more confirmation.

First he pushed the head in. Viggo nearly gasped at how warm, and tight she was. Kala's eyes closed, and her cry of pleasure strained. The further he pushed in, the better it felt, and harder it became to not simply ram into her. A low guttural groan emanated from his throat and chest as he pushed in fully. Beneath him Kala's head was throw back, body shivering slightly. Her nails dug into the skin of his back, sure to leave small crescent indentations.

At first, he began a slow pace. Pulling out, he dragged out the motion, wanting to pull every sweet sound he could from her throat. When he pushed back in, he went till the hilt, enjoying the pleasure filled face she pulled each time. Her walls hugged his cock nicely, making it hard to keep his own voice down.

As he continued thrusting, Viggo recaptured her lips in his own. Sliding his hands underneath her knees, he pushed them so the her thighs came down and out, spreading her hips more. She was incredibly flexible he found. Picking up the pace, she moaned louder. He plunged his tongue into her open mouth, finding she tasted sweet.

The nails in his back were starting to hurt. Stilling his thrusts, he kneeled up pulling away. Kala whined a the loss of friction and contact. Without warning, he gripped the dip of her waist with bruising strength and moved again. He slammed into her. Thrusting hard and fast be couldn't control himself anymore, lost in a world where only the incredible pleasure existed.

In this position he could reach deeper. "Ah!" Kala damn near screamed in pleasure at first. Her hands came up, gripping the sheets by her head until her knuckles turned white. Every time he entered she let out another moan. Her breasts bounced with the movements. "Fuck... Viggo," were the only words she could coherently form.

Kala turned her head sideways, biting her hand, trying to stifle her noise. Viggo didn't like that. "No," he commanded.

He stopped, and grabbed her wrist, pinning the arm above her head. Bowing down until his lips were beside her ear, he whispered in a low voice, "I want to hear every pretty sound you make."

The statement sent another wave of heat to Kala's core. As if to make his point, Viggo gave a particularly hard thrust, enjoying the strangled wail that came from her.

Viggo moved back up onto his knees. This time, He grabbed her legs and set them over his shoulders. Returning to fucking her senseless, Viggo could only get his brain to focus on the pleasure filled sensations. The sound of skin slapping skin nearly drowned out Kala's moans. Each sound she made went straight to his groin, making him impossibly hard.

Viggo wasn't sure how long they'd been in this position. Although it had been awhile. Sweat rolled down his forehead and back, and Kala's sounds were sounding hoarse. The room growing warmer by the minute. Viggo's thrusts were beginning to lose their rhythm.

When Viggo felt the familiar feeling of his climax coming. No, he wasn't ready to stop. He pulled himself out of her, breathing hard for a moment. Kala looked up, her eyes glazed over in bliss. "Viggo, why did you-"

He didn't let her finish the question. Grabbing her waist he suddenly lifted and turned her onto her stomach. Just as quick Kala planted herself on her hands and knees.

Pushing back in with a renewed vigour to get her off too, Viggo grabbed her hips and pounded in with all his strength. White hot pleasure shot through the woman's body so intense she immediately dropped onto her chest. "Holy fuck," she moaned out, her other sounds muffled by the sheets. In this position, his cock reached deeper inside her, hitting a spot the caused her to see stars each time he hit it. It felt amazing.

Viggo could feel himself ending closer and closer to climax. In his lust filled haze, reached one arm around her chest, hand squeezing one of her breasts. The other hand roughly grabbed her hair, and he pulled her up, never losing his rhythm. Back arched seductively, Kala leaned her head back, hardly able to keep herself up.

Viggo quickly buried his face in her neck, breathing in the smell of soap and herbs that clung to her skin. "Kala I'm close," he managed to say.

Breathlessly, she managed to reply, "Me to..." in between her whines.

Spurred on by her words, the hand in her hair reached down between her legs, finding that small bundle of nerves. He knew he found her clit when she gasped loudly. Rubbing in time with his thrusts Kala became boneless in his grasp.

"Viggo I can't last..."

Viggo sped up. "Cum for me," he demanded before biting her neck and sucking.

The various sensations where too much. Her body felt hot as the pleasure overwhelmed her. Viggo continued to fuck her through her climax. Until the tightening of her walls became too much. Quickly he pushed her chest back down onto the bed and pulled out. His climax peaked, causing him to spill his seed over the small of her back. She didn't seem bothered.

The man managed to catch himself before falling on top of Kala. There was nothing but their ragged breaths filling the air as they came down from the lust. As he came down from the post-sex high, the cold air of the room finally began to seep into his skin. As the rational part of his brain returned, he grabbed the rag on the nearby table, wiping away the mess on her back.

Once he did she turned over to face him. A soft lovely expression on her face. Her cheeks were coloured nicely in pink. Even after the rough sex, she somehow looked so innocent. Viggo couldn't stop himself from kissing her sweetly one more time. Silently they moved underneath the blankets, the cold air of the night had seeped into the home.

They didn't bother putting their clothes back on, what was the point. Kala tucked herself into his side. Head on his shoulder, and arm around his chest and legs entangled with his. He held her gently, a contrast to his rough grip not long ago.

"That was nice." The woman said in a breathy voice.

Viggo almost laughed. "Just nice?" A quiet giggle was the response. "You planned this whole night didn't you?" He asked, though it was more of a statement. It wasn't accusatory though.

"Maybe." Was Kala's only response. Though the smile that pulled at her cheeks gave away her real answer.

"Did it go as you expected?"

"Better." She answered tiredly.

Her eyes fluttered closed and Viggo's fingers played with her hair. The slow movements were hypnotizing. "Goodnight Kala," Viggo rasped.

"Night," she breathed out. Soon after the woman fell asleep, feeling safe and happy for once.

Viggo did't sleep right after. Instead lying awake, fingers tangled in the woman's snowy hair and feeling her slow gentle breathing. She felt so small and fragile in his touch. He was still trying to wrap his head around exactly what had happened and why he did it.

Everything he did was usually meticulously planned, this hadn't been. For now, he wasn't even sure how he felt about the woman in his arms. Was it just a one-off situation, hardly more than lust, or did it run deeper. Viggo was a logical person, and feelings weren't exactly logical.

Viggo couldn't deny he was attracted to her. She was beautiful, different than the rest of the viking women he never had must interest in. She was intelligent, confident in her abilities. And on top of everything else, she'd saved his life. There was still breath in his lungs thanks to her. He wasn't going to figure this out tonight. Instead he decided to take this night in stride. Just be happy with what he had.

Just before he fell asleep, he looked at her peaceful face one more time, and noticed a rather dark spot developing on her neck. He'd left quite the mark. Hopefully she wouldn't be too annoyed.

The man fell into a dreamless sleep, having one of the most peaceful rests in a long time.


	13. Quite the Morning

It was still early morning when Viggo woke up. The candles had burnt out in the night, leaving only the dim morning light to brighten the dark room. Viggo let himself wake up slowly, finding he had a minor headache. It was probably just a small hangover.

As he slowly came to consciousness, he realized Kala was not with him. There was a chill in his skin where he remembered her small body fitting, but the bed was still warm. She'd only left recently.

Before he could even wonder where she went the door opened, and Kala stepped inside. She wore only the tank top from last night pulled down her legs. In her arms she carried a pouch of water, gesturing it forward. "Thirsty?" She asked, voice still sleepy.

Just as she asked Viggo felt parched, mouth drier than a desert. It felt like his tongue was stuck to the top of his mouth. Without a word he reached an arm out, accepting the drink. Greedily he drank, refreshed at the coolness. Once he's finished he handed the, now empty, pouch back to the woman. Setting on the ground, Kala crawled back into the sheets, situating herself back in her original position.

Her skin was chilled from the morning air, causing Viggo's own skin to goosebump. "And here I thought you ditched me." He joked, voice gruff.

Viggo felt her chest stutter in silent laughter. "You're warm." She replied huskily, snuggling into his shoulder.

They laid there for a while. Kala's small body was wrapped around his, legs entangled. Underneath her ear the rhythmic thumps of his heartbeat were soothing. Her hand drew lazy circles over his skin, occasionally tracing the old dragon claw scar on his neck. In turn Viggo ran his fingers along her back, feeling both her spine and the strong muscles used for her bow and various medical practices. Occasionally he'd run his fingers through the soft white hair.

The light of the morning ever so slowly became lighter, though it was little more than a grey glow. Viggo suddenly felt Kala's fingers trail higher than his neck. They found their way to his face, just barely grazing over the scarred part. It was with almost morbid curiosity she explored the old wound. She was careful in her touches, yet her gaze burned. Keeping his eyes trained upwards, he didn't stop her. She leaned up, getting a better look at the burn scar. Fingertips brushed the raised edges of skin, particularly focusing around his blind eye.

"I can only imagine how painful this was." She finally muttered.

"The smell was worse," He replied, remember the searing heat and smell of burning flesh. It wasn't a pleasant memory. He'd already told her the story of how it occurred some time ago.

"I'm surprised it healed so well. Ironically it was probably the intense heat that kept it from becoming infected later on." She said. Cauterizing wounds was never something she enjoyed, but sometimes it was the only way to stop blood loss.

She laid back down, hand moving away from the burn scar. The trail of her fingers leaving behind goosebumps. One of her legs moved upwards towards his hips, brushing against his member. The touch made his heart beat just a little harder. It was already semi-hard, a mix of the woman's touch and morning wood.

Kala clearly sensed it, and he felt a cat-like grin spread on her face. "I think you've got a little bit of a problem," she said against his skin.

"I wouldn't say it's little," he jested back. Kala just snickered in agreement. She had to admit he was larger than the average man considerably. Definitely on the larger end of her previous sexual partners. Really, she'd had trouble standing earlier that morning.

"I've got a few solutions in mind," she replied in a flirtatious voice.

"You do now?"

She didn't respond with words. Her fingers skimmed downwards slowly, caressing the abdominal region. The touches only served to build his anticipation until finally her slender fingers stroked his shaft. Viggo sighed at the touch. His cock twitched slightly as well.

Viggo remained still, allowing Kala to touch him at her leisure. As blood rushed downwards, her hand wrapped around him firmly. While she stroked his cock her lips worked against his neck, coming up to nibble his ear. The combined feelings filled him with pleasurable heat.

Viggo only hummed in bliss, not wanting to stop her. After mere minutes of her languid pace he was standing at attention, beginning to want more. Sensing the tension, her hand pulled away and her body moved over top of his. Giving Viggo an impish grin, she pressed her lips against his for a brief moment. Not giving him a chance to deepen the kiss she began moving down his body. She trailed feathery light kisses along the way, each only adding to the mounting heat. The further down her lips traced, the greater his excitement grew.

Kala had pushed the blanket downwards, to assure he would see everything she did, and would do. Viggo couldn't stop himself from watching her. Once she reached his stomach, she moved her body up and her hand came to grip the base of his cock. Her warm breath wafted over the sensitive skin. Viggo couldn't look away as her tongue came to lick the length of the underside lazily. It was wet and warm. A deep rumble came from his chest.

Kala worked her tongue around him slowly, covering it in saliva. When she came up to breath, her hand easily slipped along his member working a little bit faster. Finally, after torturing him for a long time, she pressed her lips to the head. Without warning, Kala surged down taking as much of him as she could in her mouth.

This time Viggo audibly groaned in pleasure. One of his hands moved to her head, fingers firmly gripping her hair. He didn't make her move, letting the woman pleasure him at her own pace.

Her mouth was hot and moist, and it was heaven. Cheeks hollowed, tongue caressing his member and lips tighter than a corset. Her hand stroked what her mouth didn't reach. Her other hand came to gently massaged his balls. They were rather sensitive and it sent lightning down his spine.

The tight grip he had on her head only encouraged her. In an unhurried way, she inched further down his cock, taking more in. It was quite the erotic sight. He felt the tip hit the back of her throat. Nose buried in the hair surrounding the base, she nearly gagged on him. He twitched in her mouth as she began to bob her head, sucking hard.

Viggo's breathing grew more ragged by the minute. She was surprising good. Maybe she was far more experienced than he thought. Even though he wasn't thinking of that at the moment.

Moving faster and sucking harder, the woman wanted to hear more of the man's low deep moans. They were sensual. Occasionally, she would look up at him, knowing it would be an exciting lewd sight. Really Kala rather enjoyed pleasuring her partner, finding the act arousing. Usually she preferred giving control over in bed, but sometime she liked having the power.

After some time passed, she could feel Viggo starting to lose control. Pulling away, connected only by the string of spit, Viggo groaned at the loss of contact. Kala breathed heavily, lips pump from her blowjob. Sitting back on her knees, Kala wiped away any excess spit on her mouth, giving Viggo a roguish smile. He only returned with an annoyed grimace. Kala slipped off tank top she wore, leaving her in nude only illuminated by the morning light.

Kala crawled forward just a little bit. Hips hovering over hips. Kala reached underneath her to hold his member. Holding eye contact, Kala rubbed the tip along her slit, dripping wet. The teasing only served to fuel the man's arousal.

Finally, she sunk down, taking him fully. The lower she sunk the more it showed on her face, eyes closing and mouth open. To stabilize herself she placed her hands on his stomach. Viggo threw his head back into the pillow, his hands roaming her torso, eventually settling in at the dip of her waist.

Kala moved slow a first, adjusting to Viggo's size. At a steady pace she moved up and down, occasionally grinding her hips down into his. Her own enjoyment quickly mounted, and she was moaning.

It didn't take her too long to adjust, and soon Kala was bouncing on his dick fast and hard. Each time she came down a new sigh escaped her lips. Viggo couldn't help but watch her breasts bounce. They may have been small, but they were perfect to him. His hands came up, fingers circling her nipples. "Pinch them," the woman suddenly demanded. Viggo complied. Pinching the flesh between his thumbs and index fingers, the sensation sent a jolt of intense pleasure to her core. As he did Kala kept her chest rather still, moving only her hips.

Her thighs were beginning to shake with the effort. Viggo noticed this, and slid his hands down to her hips. Grabbing on, he began to thrust upward into her. The added force caused her to shout in pleasure. She nearly fell on top, instead planting her palms on his chest. He didn't relent in his pace, going fast and hard.

Kala couldn't hold herself up any longer at the intense pleasure. Viggo realized this. Still buried inside her, Viggo sat up and wrapped his arms around her. He captured her lips in an open mouth kiss, swallowing her moans. The man stood only to place Kala back on the bed. Now standing and in control Viggo could properly fuck her. So he did without mercy. After all the teasing she'd put him through this was sort of his way of getting back.

Her walls gripped him like a vice, and he wasn't sure how long he would last. It was alright though, he could tell she was still sensitive from the previous night.

As he often was, Viggo turned out to be right. Soon her legs were starting to spasm around his waist and she managed to just barely voice her incoming climax. Viggo kissed her through her orgasm, the intense sensations racing through her body. She clenched around him, and Viggo had barely pulled out before he came on her stomach.

The two panted afterwards, coming down from their ecstasy filled high. With the same rag as the night before Viggo wiped away the fluid from her stomach. It was quiet for a little while until they finally returned to sobriety. "That's one way to wake up." Kala said with a cheerful tone. Morning sex was good sex. Viggo figured it was something he could get used to, but didn't voice the thought.

The woman stood up, wavering in her walk as she put on a simple pair of pants and top. Viggo pulled his own pants up. Kala ended up sitting back on the bed, her legs shaking. A small sense of impish satisfaction filled his chest at her heavy breaths and struggle to walk. Her eyes glanced around the room until finally they found their target. Bath towel and soap.

"I think I'm going to have a bath, feel a little sticky." She mentioned, slowly standing up once more and retrieving the items, along with her regular dark leathers. Viggo had to admit, a bath sounded nice. The smell of sweat and sex clung to their skin and permeated the room. The pondering look on his face must have given away his thoughts. "You're welcome to join me. The hot spring is far better than the freezing river," Kala told him. Accepting the offer, Viggo quickly grabbed his own regular clothes, following her out the door.

The sun had set to rise over the horizon, however it was hard to tell. The sky was overcast with grey clouds and it was still rather dim. Without the sun the air was cold and crisp. 

The walk over was silent and short. Behind them Midnight groggily followed. He was quite the loyal dragon. The hot spring was situated in an elevated rock formation surrounded by trees. The steam from the water rose up invitingly. They hung their clothes on nearby branches before stripping their casual clothes off.

They moved quickly to escape the cold air in favour of heated water just meters away. Kala sighed in bliss as she slid into the water completely, the warmth enveloping her skin. Viggo followed suit, sinking into the water. The water was quite deep, coming up to Kala's shoulders.

Like the walk over they bathed in silence. Kala used the soap first, scrubbing away the sweat that had built up from the night's and morning's activities. Wet hair hung heavy on her head, the ends of the strands floating in the water. As she bathed Viggo stole the occasional glance her way. Now with far less sexual tension coursing through his body, he was more concerned with simply enjoying her appearance. It wasn't like he could see much beneath the surface of water anyway.

She finished soon enough. Pushing her way through the water, she came up to Viggo. Water drops dripping from her hair down her face. The hickey he'd left on her neck was even more prominent against her fair skin. Passing the soap the him, she said, "I want to go to the markets. We have no fresh food and frankly I'm getting tired of fish."

A look of concern passed over Viggo's face. "You should avoid the larger markets," he replied, the memory of her last trip still fresh in their minds. Then he had an idea. "Perhaps you should ask the defenders or the riders. They might give you supplies after what you've done for them."

Kala stared for a moment, pondering it. "You might be right. I'll ask Hiccup first," she answered. Considering she would be getting food for two and Hiccup knew of Viggo's current status as 'not dead,' it was the better of the two options. Dipping beneath the surface for a moment, Kala resurfaced, scrubbing away the last of the sweat from her face. The water glistening off her skin in the morning glow. "I'll be off. They aren't too far from here, I should be back by tonight," she said, turning around with the intention of leaving.

"Kala," Viggo stated, getting her attention. Raising his hand out of the water, he cupped her face. Her breath hitched as their faces inched closer. "Stay safe."

A pink blush spread across her cheeks. Finally, she gave a sheepish smile, and gripped his wrists as to pull his hands away from her. "I will. No detours this time." She replied before climbing out of the hot spring, wrapping the towel around herself. In order to change she hid behind the trees, out of Viggo's line of sight.

When she finally came out she was once again dressed in her usual dark leathers. Delicate fingers trailed through the damp white hair, weaving the strands tightly into a braid. "I'll be back soon!" she called out, walking towards the home with her back to him waving. Midnight trailed after her.

A few minutes passed by until he saw Midnight's form fly off. Up above the Skrill circled the clouds. In a sluggish manner Viggo dragged the soap along his body, washing away the musky smell from his skin. He thought about getting out of the hot spring and attending to something else. But he figured it should be fine to relax a little while longer in the heat.

Even as he tried to relax the heat couldn't push away his thoughts. Had he been told by someone that he would defect from the Hunters, nearly die and then end up bedding a foreign woman who'd saved him, he would probably write the them off as insane.

The previous night and morning had been enjoyable, there was nothing to regret there. But just now in the hot spring Kala seemed unsure of the touch, she didn't kiss him, keeping him just at arm's reach. Yet, after divulging how important the neck region was to her, she'd let him touch it. From her comments and reactions, he could only assume she was incredibly careful about who she let touch the area. The two occurrences were in contrast with one another and he couldn't help but wonder why. Had she made one choice last night and regretted it now, or was there another reason? Was she just unsure of how she felt about shagging the ex-dragon hunter leader? Maybe even it wasn't that deep and it really was just sex, nothing more to it.

In truth Viggo wasn't sure how he felt about the situation or her. For all he knew this was just misplaced feelings of gratitude. Even so, he couldn't deny the sexual attraction along with the tension that so often filled the answer between them. This was not something he would figure out any time soon. He would have to confront Kala when she returned, so they knew exactly where they're relationship stood. Healer-patient? Friends with benefits? Lovers?

The sun had risen properly when Viggo decided to get out of the hot spring, fingers pruned. Drying and dressing quickly, he walked swiftly back to camp. Working on his high-speed helemet, it helped get his mind off things.


	14. Food for Thought

Kala and Midnight flew together, cutting through the still air. The hood she wore was pulled tight against her head and neck, managing to block most of the cool ocean air. For the most part Midnight flew above the overcast clouds, occasionally dipping lower to check for Dragon's Edge. Empty bags were attached to his saddle, along with a pouch full of coins to exchange for fresh food. On Kala's back was her bow with a quiver of arrows. She hoped she wouldn't need it, but after her last few excursions it was better to stay safe.

Truthfully, she felt a small sense of relief leaving the tension filled island. But now, there was nothing much to focus on and her thoughts came forward. Much had happened in the previous night. Viggo had been correct when he said she'd planned the night, well in regards to her win. There was no way she could have won against Viggo playing with in-game strategies, and she wanted to win at least once. Perhaps it was a little underhanded, using a man's sexual attractions, booze and her own charm against them. Even so the strategy worked in past, and had worked again.

After her win was a different story. Sex was not something one could plan for. More so anticipated, but never guaranteed. Kala was no stranger to desire. Many men had wanted her, some she reciprocated and shared a bed with, but only a few held a special place in her heart. She wasn't entirely sure where Viggo fell along that continuum.

Most men were hardly more than a nightly fling, others multiple nights if they were enjoyable. Only a couple of times had she used her feminine wiles for ulterior motives. She had far more than her fair share of bed partners, having long stopped counting. Oh, the stories she could tell. The desire burned bright but fast, and she often never saw the men again.

Viggo was different from other's she'd know. There was no attraction at the beginning. It was simply her helping someone in need. Kala was a people person, observant of body language. It came with the profession. Viggo's signs had started showing not long after he had fully recovered. They were subtle, but there. She couldn't deny her own allure that liked to show occasionally. The sex was incredible, sharing a bed again would not be something she'd regret.

The feelings grew overtime. Although in a way that's what worried her. Slow growing often meant deeper felt. And the last time that happened she'd been cut deeper than any knife could reach. She never wanted to go through that pain again. Even now, her heart still hurt at the memories of those lost. Whatever feelings either of them had, Kala needed to keep those deeper feelings out of it if she were to not get hurt again.

But when he had touched her neck, it felt like lightning. A white hot sensation she didn't want to end. Normally when her partners touched her neck before she could tell them not to touch it, it felt wrong, and near repulsive. It was almost scary how much she liked Viggo's touch on her neck.

Perhaps it was better to not think about this at all. The longer she thought on it the more confused she became.

Shaking her head she tried her best to not think of anything the rest of the flight to Dragon's Edge.

<<<<<>>>>>

It was a dreary day on Dragon's Edge. The riders were in their regular routine. Hiccup was working on his contraptions, Astrid the islands defenses, Fishlegs was studying the lenses, Snotlout was on patrol and the Twins... were doing twin stuff.

The overcast sky and quiet ocean made for a rather drab patrol for Snotlout. Just a couple of days ago the riders had managed to free the Deathsong's from the Hunter's grasp. The poor things must have suffered much abuse. Snotlout just wanted to get back to finalizing his book but it just so happened to be his turn to patrol. It was so boring!

That was until what seemed like a black shadow dipping out of the clouds. At first he couldn't tell what was, probably just a trick of the light. But the longer he looked the closer it came. It was ominous.

Just as fear started to set in the sight and he was going to sound the alarm, he realized what it was. It was Kala, flying in on Midnight. Settling his heartbeat, Snotlout directed Hookfang to meet up with her.

She called out to him first. "Snotlout is that you!?"

"Kala! Yeah its me!" He called back. Once they reached each other the dragons came to a halt and hovered in the air, exchanging grunts of greeting. "What are you doing here? We haven't seen you since you brought Tuffnut back from the dead."

"I've been busy. But I came here to speak to Hiccup about supplies." She answered honestly.

Snotlout nodded and lead her towards the forgery. As the two neared, Kala could make out both Hiccup and Astrid working on separate project. Their dragons playing a little ways off. Snotlout called out once they were in earshot. "Hey Hiccup! Look who came by!"

Hiccup looked up from what he was working on, pulling off the welding helmet he wore. The dragons landed gracefully. Hiccup and Astrid both looked a little surprised by her arrival. "Kala! Its been awhile is everything alright?" Hiccup asked, glad to see her but a hint of worry in his voice.

Kala gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes everything is alright. I just came to speak to you about supplies."

Hiccup thought for a moment and nodded. Setting down the items he was working with, he gave the woman his full attention. Astrid had also left sharpening her axe to speak with them Hiccup turned to Snotlout first. "You should get back to patrol." He told him.

"What!? Come on! There's nothing out there. Without wind and it being an overcast day I doubt the hunters will come anywhere near here." Snotlout tried to reason, wanting to stay and listen to the conversation.

"That doesn't matter. They've been getting more aggressive and we can't afford to let up on our defenses." Hiccup reasoned.

When it looked like Snotlout was going to rebuke both Hiccup and Astrid gave him a stern look. Snotlout just looked defeated. He muttered under his breath, something about 'just wanting to get rid of him' but it was too unintelligible to tell. He simply jumped back onto Hookfang and took off into the air, returning to his boring patrol.

"So what did you come for? Are you sure everything is alright?" Hiccup asked again, the worry in his voice returning. It was clear who, as opposed to a what, he was really referring too.

"Yes Hiccup, everything is fine. I really did just come to ask for supplies." She reassured him again. With her next sentence she picked her words carefully. "Actually, I only came to ask if you have food to spare. I've run out of fresh food. Do you have any? I've brought money to pay you."

"Yeah, we just got a shipment in from Berk, you're welcome to what you need. Don't worry about the money, you've helped us enough."

A relieved look grew on her face and breathed out a sigh. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."

The three of them began walking towards the stores, chatting along the way. Midnight followed not far behind. Astrid spoke next, speaking softly. "We heard about what happened at the markets. Mala sent us a letter to warn us about how dangerous they've become. Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I was lucky they were there, otherwise things could have ended differently," she answered quietly.

"Mala also mentioned Dagur had been severely wounded and you healed him. That true?" Astrid asked.

"I did. Stitched and cleaned the wound and left instructions. If everything is going well I imagine his stitches can come out soon. Did she mention his state?"

Hiccup answered her question. "Yes, said he's angry he's stuck on bedrest. So, in other words, he's doing great."

"That's good to hear," the woman replied. "Have you had any issues with the Hunters recently?"

Astrid answered her, "Actually, just a couple days ago we freed a Deathsong, it was capturing their Singetails, and put an end to Krogan's breeding program. Hopefully it cripples his operations for a while."

"Some progress is better than none. Good job," Kala congratulated.

Soon enough they reached the rider's storehouse. Kala retrieved her bags from Midnight's saddle as they began combing through the various foods in the boxes. They actually had a fair amount. Food varied from imported fruits and vegetables, some grains and baked goods. Kala could feel her mouth watering as she looked at the colorful food.

As they rummaged through the food, Astrid asked, "How much will you two need on the island?" Kala's eyes just widened at the question, going quiet. Her eyes flicked between Hiccup and Astrid. It was tense and silent for a moment before Astrid realized what she said. "Oh! Hiccup told me about Viggo." The blonde said almost self-consciously.

The surprised look was replaced with a knowing one on Kala. Eyes focused on Hiccup, she asked in a cool tone, "Have you told anyone else?" The question wasn't accusatory, her gaze was analytical. It was still enough to make Hiccup swallow, as if he'd shared a dark secret of hers.

"Nobody. Just us," He answered honestly.

Kala just nodded. "We'll need enough for a few weeks. Hopefully less. I'd like to avoid the markets as much as possible." She stated, the blank look on her face not giving away any feelings she may have had on the subject.

The tension in the air slowly dissipated. Together they began picking through the various foods, choosing a decent variety. Eventually her bags were full. It was definitely enough to last a few weeks. Along with the fish and game on the island, it would be plenty.

Once they finished, Kala said graciously, "Again, thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime. Our doors are always open to you," Hiccup replied. Walking back out, Midnight lie waiting.

"Mine as well. If you ever need anything, just let me know," Kala said, securing the bags of food to the saddle and climbing on. With a wave to the couple Midnight took off, eventually disappearing past the blanket of grey clouds.

Once she was out of sight, Astrid turned to Hiccup. "Hiccup, did you see her neck?" She whispered to him in a hush-hush tone.

"Huh? No, why?" Hiccup responded, clearly confused.

Kala may have been mostly covered up with her leathers and hood, but the dark spot on her neck couldn't escape Astrid's observant gaze. The blonde just sighed, a blush starting to form on her cheeks. Of course Hiccup hadn't noticed.

"Oh, nevermind. It's not important." Astrid said, turning away to hide the increasing pink tone flooding her cheeks as her mind began to wonder exactly how that mark appeared, and who put it there. Really there was little wondering to be done, the dots weren't hard to connect, but that knowledge couldn't prevent the blush.

Upon turning to face the storehouse, Astrid spotted the coin pouch Kala had brought. It was open. The woman had left it there deliberately. Swiping the pouch, Astrid finally looked back at Hiccup. "Lets head back to the forge, I want to finish sharpening my axe."

<<<<<>>>>>

Not being able to control herself anymore, Kala reached into one of the bags and pulled out an apple. As she bit into the red skin of the fruit, it's sweet juices and taste flooded her tongue. The luxury of eating fruits was one Kala had missed dearly. The crunching of the fruit was loud in her ears, just overpowering the rush of wind. The flight above the clouds and enjoyment of the fruit provided a peaceful moment. It was simple sure, but peaceful nonetheless.

Having fresh food was a comfort as she flew back to the island. The blanket of clouds beneath provided cover from any passing ships below. Despite the cover, she couldn't shake a lingering feeling of dread of being out and about, especially with the incidents of late.

Soon the apple in her hand was nothing but a core. With nothing edible left on the fruit, she chucked the organic as far as she could. When she did, she as glad to find there was no pain in her arm from her previous injury. The apple disappeared into the fog of the clouds, sure to fall into the ocean only to be eaten by some creature of the depths.

Without the sound of her chewing, she could listen the wind. Strangely she heard the familiar flapping of wings. However, the sounds didn't sync up with Midnight's own movements. Taking a look around, Kala saw she was alone in the air. It could very well just be a trick of the wind.

At least she thought she was alone until a sudden fireblast burst from the clouds and hit Midnight's underside. The black dragon shrieked in surprise and pain, his flight faltering long enough to fall beneath the clouds. Fear shot through Kala as she realized what was happening. A group of flyers were flying not far below, shouting at each other and her. Further down below were a few a few Hunter ships.

The Singetail's advanced quickly, already preparing more attacks. Adrenaline coursed through Kala's veins as she dug her heels into Midnight's sides. There was no way she could fight, she had to escape. Taking her signals Midnight's wings moved faster, trying to speed up. The Flyers never let up, chasing her down while down below the ships trailed behind. Kala turned around in the saddle to properly face the Flyers. Pulling the bow from her back, Kala pulled back an arrow. Taking out a few of the Flyers might be her only chance to escape.

Midnight dodged the fireblasts as best he could as Kala went on the counter attack. Her first few shots hit their target, taking the Flyers out. Yet each time she did there was a new guy not far behind prepared to take his place. Shooting them down wasn't an option.

The ship's had now began their attack. Arrows fired up in her direction. Her heart was racing, nothing seemed to deter the enemies attack. And home was nowhere in sight. As panic began to set in Kala struggled to think. Wind whipped by and dragon battle cries filled the air. Even as Midnight flew as fast as he could, it was just enough to maintain the meager distance between them already. And he wouldn't be able to keep this pace up for long.

Fleeing was no longer an option; she could only fight her way out. Turning back around, the directed Midnight into a dive, and turned. The pair had plenty of practice maneuvering in the skies. Running purely on instincts now, they turned, and Midnight breathed a plume of flames at the enemy. The counterattack made some of the Flyers fall. Midnight had a size advantage and rammed into others, easily knocking them off balance. If she could just defeat a few, she might be able to get away.

Kala was breathing hard as she used her arrows to shoot the ones Midnight couldn't hit. At first their counterattack was working. Until a terrifying roar sounded from behind her. When she turned, Kala was met with the sight of a fearsome orange titanwing singetail, with Krogan standing on it's back. Her eyes widened as cold dread raced through her body. Krogan took advantage of her fear, and forced his giant dragon to fire. She couldn't react.

The blast from above hit Midnight's hips. The strength of it knocked the black dragon completely off balanced, and threw Kala from his back. Separated from her dragon, a fresh wave of terror flooded the woman's mind. Falling in the air she was completely helpless. Another wave of arrows was shot at Midnight, and this time some hit their target. Midnight screeched and twisted in the air, failing to stabilize. The titanwing grabbed Midnight before he could attack. A different flyer and singetail plucked Kala from the air, the dragon's claws wrapped painfully tight around her arm. Futilely she hit the claws, trying and failing to free herself.

A sense of pure horror consumed Kala as her mind caught up to the situation. Krogan had caught her, and there was nothing she could do.

<<<<<>>>>>

Krogan stared at the various maps on the table of the boat. The reports he received a couple days ago only fully cemented the fact that Kala was here in the Archipelago. It had been a couple years since he saw last saw her, thinking the previous time would be the last. He wondered why she was here, but really it didn't matter.

She had been the one that got away, twice now. And there would not be third.

Before when ships would mysteriously disappear or ransacked, he'd always assumed it was one of their many enemies in the archipelago or pirates. But now he realized it had been her taking their resources, documents and coin. After the incident with Ingerman, Krogan had some of their cartographers analyze the ships that had be affected to try to determine her location. They came to conclude she was within a small group of islands based on the ships and sightings.

While capturing her was a priority, capturing her Bright Shadow would also be a huge asset if he could control it. When he heard of what happened at the markets just a couple days ago the strange behaviour had shocked him. Krogan had expected the Dragon Root to affect it the same as every other dragon, but he had paid dearly for such an assumption. Now they had a new concoction to try and subdue the dragon. It was a mix of Slitherwing venom and purple oleander.

Now Krogan had ordered a small group of ships and Flyers to constantly patrol the area Kala was believed to reside in. Johann had originally been against the idea, but it didn't take much convincing when Krogan brought up the combat-oriented Bright Shadow. Though when he began this operation, he hadn't expected results so quickly.

The random apple core falling from the sky had been the indication to look up. A shadow was cast on the clouds, giving away a flying dragon above. Barking orders at his flyers to capture the dragon, a giddy grin pulled at his lips when he finally saw Kala riding her dragon. Excitement coursed through him as he jumped on his titanwing and flanked around, careful to stay out of her sight.

The terrified expression on her face when she finally laid her eyes on the man gave him a sick thrill. He finally had her. Even her fearsome dragon couldn't defend against his attack. The venom tipped arrows hit the black dragon and seemed to do their job, subduing him. Krogan saw one of his flyers grab the woman.

While Kala was taken to the main ship, Krogan made sure to put the Bright Shadow on a different one. The black dragon thumped unceremoniously onto the wood. It struggled to stand before its legs buckled and it simply laid there hardly able to move. "Tie its legs and wings so it can't move! And muzzle it!" He ordered the men on the ship. The incapacitated creature could do nothing to defend itself as the men bound it with heavy duty chains. Its legs bound, wings folded tight to the body and chain wrapped tight around its jaw. Securing it to the deck, there was no way it could escape even if it managed to fight off the venom.

Satisfied with having such a strong dragon in his possession, Krogan flew back to the main ship. Kala was struggling vainly against two Flyers. She was on her knees, arms twisted back painfully. 

"Let me go you bastard!" She yelled at them. Oh had Krogan had missed that fire in her. Rarely did it show.

When she saw him, fear returned to her mismatched eyes, yet the defiance never left her face. He could see her mind racing, trying to find a way to escape. The worthless endeavor was adorable. Krogan jumped off the titanwing, walking up until he was hardly a foot away from her.

"You've been hard to find. And you've caused my operation much trouble." He said, voice deep and intimidating. "But I've finally caught you."

Even now the woman struggled against her captors, refusing to give in. "Where are you taking my dragon?!" she demanded.

Krogan chuckled low in his throat. "Oh, you no longer need to worry about him. He'll be put to good use I assure you."

The spark of anger in her eyes was near arousing. What Krogan had expected was for the anger to refuel her energy. In one swift motion she managed to wrench one of her arms free. Driven solely by anger and instinct she lunged forward, she swung her fist aiming for his face.

Just time Krogan manged to block it, grabbing her arm tightly. At least one of the Flyers had managed to keep his hold. "Go to hell," the woman sneered at him.

In retaliation, Krogan sent his own fist in her direction. With no way to protect herself, he hit her square in the jaw, knocking the woman unconscious. Her body went limp, falling onto the wood of the ship as the men let go.

Now, she wouldn't be a nuisance for a time. It would be much easier to tie her up without any resistance. "Take her down, bind her and lock her in the prison." He demanded.

The Flyers wasted no time dragging Kala's body below deck. A disturbing smile bloomed on his face as Johann emerged from the captains quarters. His face was emotionless. "So you finally got the girl eh?" he taunted.

Krogan just glared at him. "What's it to you? We caught the Bright Shadow, the Slitherwing venom brew worked."

Johann just returned the intense stare. Tensions between the two men had slowly been rising since Viggo's death. The riders releasing their Deathsong didn't help matters. "I just don't want this woman to distract you from the matter at hand. The King of Dragons is our first priority."

Krogan's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "You've nothing to worry about. With the Bright Shadow under our control those riders will stand no chance in a fight."

"Right," Johann said, a hint of disbelief in his voice. He ordered one of the Flyers to fly him to the ship with the captured dragon. "I'll be back at the base with that dragon. I expect you to find the final lens before I see your face there again." He told Krogan, leaving before the man could reply.

Krogan growled as he left, angry he couldn't retort. But that didn't matter. It was only a matter of time before they found it.

Today had been a good day. Luck had been on his side, practically delivering the woman he had such a past with on a silver platter. A smirk returned to his face. First he would complete his orders and work for the day, then he would properly greet his new prisoner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took awhile to copy this story over from Wattpad but now that that's done I hope I can continue to update this story and a reasonable pace. Quarantine has been somehow helpings my terrible writing block. Hope you've enjoyed the story so far! Comments are always appreciated.


	15. Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: this chapter does contain emotional/psychological/physical abuse, trauma and non consensual touching. Nothing too explicit but I feel I should warn any readers who may be uncomfortable.

<<<<<>>>>>

Kala slowly regained consciousness, groaning as she became aware of the sensations of her body. Her jaw was incredibly sore, she was sure a bruise was forming. A headache began creeping forward. Tight metal shackles encased her wrists, held above her head in such a way her elbows and shoulders were bent painfully. The shackles position forced Kala to stand uncomfortably on the balls of her feet. Held too high to stand properly on her heels, yet not high enough she was completely elevated. It would only be a matter of time before her legs would shake and simply standing would be painful. 

The cell she was in was dim, not much light was able to filter through the tiny window. Through the bars far away she could see the ladder that would take one to the top deck. Two hunters were stationed outside the cell, standing guard. Looking up, she could see a lock mechanism holding the chains attached to the shackles near the roof. Even if she had the key, it would be near impossible to the reach it. The shackles themselves were incredibly tight, no way to wriggle out of them. The probability of escape was dwindling quickly.

Kala wondered how long she was knocked out for. Krogan’s strike had been hard, and the unconsciousness was near immediate. The sky still seemed bright, near middle of the day. She wasn’t out very long. That was good. It felt as if she had a minor concussion, but nothing to worry about.

Reality was beginning to set in. She was completely and utterly trapped. A spider’s web had been spun and she hadn’t even seen it coming. Like a helpless butterfly she’d been caught. Any control she had when she faced Krogan was ripped from her fingers. The loss of any control terrified her. She knew the longer she was here, the lower her chances of escape became.

Struggling futilely against the binds again she felt her heart beat harder. Somehow, she needed to escape. In her attempt the metal shackles and chained clacked loudly against one another, alerting the guard just outside her cell. The men turned to see their prisoner wide awake. Without a word one of them turned away and climbed the ladder up to the top deck. Most likely to report to Krogan. Kala struggled harder against the shackles, until the tight metal became too painful.

Before she knew it Krogan had descended the ladder onto the lower deck. The evil victorious look on his face sent a cold shiver down her spine. He waved the other guard away, who scurried up the ladder in silence. As the hatch to the surface clanged shut it left the two alone. Krogan approached her cell. His footsteps echoed quietly off the wood. In such a helpless state Kala froze.

Crossing the threshold, he stood on the other side of the bars. He looked down at her like a wolf would stare at a helpless rabbit. A predatory grin spread across his face. “Don’t stop struggling on my account. Watching your pointless squirming is enjoyable,” he goaded, voice deep.

Kala tried to give defiant glare, not responding. Yet due to her compromised position, Krogan only seemed to enjoy the sight. He inserted the cell keys into the padlock, and turned. The lock mechanisms inside clanged and the door creaked open. There was no rush in his movements as he stepped inside, and closed the door behind him. The silence between them was deafening and the air hung heavy around Kala. 

When it became evident Kala wasn’t going to reply Krogan broke the silence. “I thought you died back in the Celeda riots. Imagine my surprise when I found out you were alive, and hiding right under my nose for weeks. And then after all the… mishaps to affect my business here the universe delivers you to me on a silver platter. Although I cannot help but wonder why you appear to me now?” His voice was as smooth as it was dark. 

Kala’s lips pursed tightly while she continued her silence. As much as she didn’t want to indulge the man, she didn’t trust in her own voice not to shake. She recalled Celeda’s riots, the city had descended into chaos. Many people died, and she lost much. It was a wonder even to herself that she escaped alive.

“However,” he spoke in a deep voice, walking closer and pulling Kala out of her memories. “You are a bit…” his voice trailed off for a moment until he was only inches away from her. Krogan reached out and almost lovingly placed an open palm on her flat stomach, “thinner then I remember.” A cruel smile edged its way onto his face as more unpleasant, and traumatic, memories flooded Kala’s mind. His touch sent paralyzing electricity throughout her body and for a moment she felt as if she couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Each second his hand was on her felt like an eternity, his palm lingered there until finally he retracted his touch and Kala’s mind began working again. A storm of emotions emerged. A mix of fear, grief, and anger. 

Krogan raised his hand, watching the chaos in Kala’s eyes. She tensed as his fingers brushed her hanging hair back, refusing to meet his gaze any longer. Fingertips skimmed along the strands, admiring every inch. Kala felt disgusted, trying not to think of what thoughts were running through his mind. She had to get out of here.

Suddenly Krogan stopped moving. His eyes traced her neck until they landed on a rather dark spot partially hidden by her leathers. A torrent of rage and jealousy immediately filled him as he stared at the hickey on her neck left behind by someone else. Krogan knew of her clan’s tradition surrounding the neck. Roughly he grabbed a fist full of her hair and forced her head upwards, making Kala look him in the eye. In a dark voice he growled, “Who left that there?”

Bewilderment managed to overtake her fear for a moment. Kala’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “What are you talking about?” She managed to murmur out.

Krogan’s fist only tightened painfully. “Don’t play dumb.” With his other hand he stroked the purple mark. “Someone left this here. Who?” His voice was dark and commanding.

Confusion remained in Kala’s eyes as she thought for a moment. Then realization hit her. Viggo must have left that mark there. But she didn’t have time to feel embarrassed for something so juvenile. “It’s none of your fucking business,” she spat at him with nothing but malice in her eyes. 

Krogan let her go with a rough shove. He knew he shouldn’t be angry but he couldn’t stop the emotions. But he couldn’t let her feel like she had any power. He leaned over her, silent rage coursing through him. “He’ll be dead like the others soon enough.”

Kala’s eyes just narrowed at the veiled threat. Her defiance was strong. Krogan knew it would take more than a few hard hits to her past to break her. And right now, there was nothing he wanted more than to watch Kala crack and break at his hand.

In a second Krogan’s hands were wrapped around Kala’s neck, squeezing. The man revelled in the flash of fear in her eyes. “You won’t escape me.”

Kala was still with panic, breathing became hard in the man’s grasp. His grip was so tight it was sure to leave behind bruises as Kala’s airway was cut off. But then her fighting spirit came back. In an act of contempt she gathered what she could a spit in Krogan’s face. It shocked Krogan enough that his grasp loosened and in that moment Kala drove her leg up as hard as she could between his legs. Reeling back in disgust and pain Krogan had to hold onto the nearby wall as blazing hot pain shot through his groin and up his spine. 

Kala gasped and sputtered for breath as Krogan recovered. A dark rage consumed Krogan at the woman’s defiance. Once they each caught their breath, Krogan stood to his full height. Without another moment of hesitation, he rushed forward and drove his fist full force into Kala’s abdomen. The effect was immediate and the pain throbbing. Kala’s chest seized as the air was knocked from her. The hit had been so hard she felt as though she might vomit. 

Krogan didn’t give her a moment to recover. His next strike hit the side of her ribs. The next was a strong kick to the thigh. Krogan saw nothing but red and his strikes kept coming. He lost count as the hits became a blur. 

Eventualy he pulled back. His knuckles burned and upon looking down, he could see the skin had broken and he was beginning to bleed. Kala hung limply in pain from her shackles, breathing heavy. Krogan was sure she’d have some nasty bruises underneath her leathers, giving him satisfaction. 

Turning around Krogan approached the cell bars with an eery calmness. He reached out in between, clearly expecting something. One of the guards grabbed a strange box and handed it to Krogan with shaking hands. The guards knew how cruel Krogan could be, but beating on a helpless woman was horrible. They did not want to further enrage the man. 

Content with the box in his hand, he set it down within the cell. In a slow manner, he opened the box to reveal a needle and a jarred strange substance. 

Still struggling with the throbbing pain all over her body, Kala couldn’t speak. Instead Krogan filled the silence. “You are just as troublesome as I remember.” With a gentle touch Krogan lifted the needle and inserted it into the jar, drawing some of the substance inside. “It won’t do to keep you locked up here where I can’t keep an eye on you.”

Kala wasn’t sure what it was, or where Krogan had even secured such high quality equipment. But it wasn’t good. 

Krogan approached her once again, needle in hand. One of his hands came up to move her head to the side. “You might want to stay still.” He warned. Before she had any chance to object she felt the syringe pierce her skin. The pinching sensation was soon followed by a cold feeling spreading through her neck and body.

As he pulled the needle out, she managed to ask, “What was that?”

“Just a little sedative.” He replied.

The effects of the drug were fast. Terrifyingly fast. Her vision was blurring and the feeling in her body was slowly lost to her. Just before she lost consciousness, she heard Krogan say “Now, you’re all mine.”

<<<<<>>>>>

The sun had long set and Kala still had not returned. Viggo couldn’t help but feel worried. It was strange to not have her around for another night of Maces and Talons and talking over the campfire. Frankly he hadn’t even bothered building a fire tonight. Instead he simply tinkered with her sword and helmet, keeping one eye on the sky. Yet she never appeared.

Part of him wanted to fly out and find her, she simply shouldn’t be taking this long. 

A small part of him wondered if she was avoiding him.

But most likely she had simply become preoccupied again. Probably found some poor soul that was in need of medical attention. Viggo knew she had a terrible habit of getting involved in situations. And he also knew she could take care of herself. 

If it was like before, she would be back by tomorrow.


End file.
